The Affair Of The Royal Armada
by ChaiHarker
Summary: After many years of being alive, several hundred in fact, Reaver finds himself at a stand still of life in which he decides to come into proper contact with the Queen of Albion. It does not take him long to feel a form of attachment to the Queen and she too is feeling for him, and yet everything is not what i may seem with the man in white.
1. Chapter 1 - The Meeting

"My lady, it's 6am, it's time to finally arise." I heard as Jasper, my loyal butler and servant, drew open my curtains to reveal sunlight into the room which made me cringe.

"Jasper, it's so early, why do I have to wake up?" I ask in a degruntled and rather angry voice as I throw my pillow over my face to block the sunlight from hitting my line of sight.

"You have a meeting today with someone you might remember. They've asked me to keep their name annoyumaus for this as they believe that you knowing their name will post-pone the meeting and it does sound like you, your majesty." Jasper said in almost a dry yet humourous way, as if almost laughing at the thing I didn't know.

"Alright." I almost whine as I throw my warm covers off and sit up in my bed, my dog 'Elliot' (named after my old departed friend) lays his head on my leg as if asking me to stay, but I shake my head to him and he realises and hops off and does his usual little smile to me, encourging me to stand up, and I do. When I finally get to my feet, I begin to make me way over to my dressing quarters. I choose the first thing I could see. A red dress, long in the back and short in the front, a black lace corset, black stockings and red shoes before placing my crown on the top of my head.

"That's an interesting choice." I hear Jasper say from just by me as I walk out from the dressing board. "It suits you, it really brings out your eyes." He says with almost a chuckle as he looks at my almost gothic attire.

"I just wanted to dress nice today, is that a crime?" I ask him as I place one hand on my hip and leaning off the the side.

"Of course not my lady, but I do suggest you take this." He says as he suddenly pulls a small knife and a strap out from behind his back.

"It's a knife strap that wraps around your thigh to keep it secure, your dress should hide it. It's for protection you majesty." Jasper says lightly as I take the objects from him before securing the knife to my left thigh without even thinking about it.

"Why would I need protection? Isn't it just a meeting?" I ask him as I pull the front of my dress back down and I stand straight again, ajusting to the feeling of the knife being so taught to my leg.

"No reason, my lady. Ah! Look at the time, they should be waiting for you in the drawing room, I suggest you hurry along." Jasper says in almost a shocked way as he looks at the grandfather clock at the corner of my room before pushing me from behind by my back to my bedroom door and then shutting the door behind me, stopping me from re-entering my room for the day. Jasper does this most everyday, it stops me from being lazy and such, but I do miss my room.

I began to make my way down the hallways of the castle as servants of all kind stopped to bow to me as I walked by, all of them muttering 'My lady' as I passed them slowly. When I had finally made it to the door of the drawing room, I felt almost a twang of fear knot up inside of me. Who was I meeting and why did it have to be so early and dire? Taking one more final deep breath, I pushed open the doors to the room.

As I entered, I found it to be empty. There was no-one sitting in the other seat by the fire, did they leave? Then, all of a sudden, I heard the door slam and I turned to see the man I dreaded most, Reaver.

"Ahh, hello my Queen? How is your leige this fine morning?" The man dressed in white and black asked me as he approched me slowly, smirking at me in his usual devillish way.

"You." I say in a blunt voice, giving him a clear point that I was disapointed to see him.

"Oh come now my Queen, don't be so discouraged by me." He says as he sits himself down the the right seat by the fire, crossing his legs and leaning on his elbow looking at me with the same smirk.

"What is it you want here with me?" I ask him as I suddenly feel as urge to pull my knife out on him on impulse.

"My Queen, I simply want to invite you to my manor." He said as he clasped his hands together, his black leather gloves squeaking and making an iritiaing noise.

"Like one of your sadistic parties from before? Don't even think about it." I almost hiss at him, gripping the top of the free chair as he contiues to stare at me in sheer amusement.

The last party of his I attended, I was almost killed due to his sadistic party tendenties. Which included spinning a wheel to determine which monster I would have to face next, I'm lucky I made it out alive.

"No, it's not for that." He said in an amused tone. "It's just because I wish to know you better as you are the Queen of this country." He said as he slowly began to rise from his chair and approch me, his cane smacking the floor with every step he took.

"W-What are you doing?" I ask him in a fearful voice as I begin to back up without even thinking about it.

"Ah ha! Is the Queen afraid of me?" He laughs out as he puts his cane up over his shoulder.

"No, I'm scared of what you've done. You've done worse things than Logan. Pirated, sacrificed...attempted to kill a princess." I bark at him as he continues to walk my way.

"Ah yes, the princess. You were an attractive little thing back then." He said with another laugh. And with that, I pulled my knife out from under my dress, accidently slicing my leg on the way and I hold it up to him.

"Another step Reaver and I slit your throat wide open." I threaten, forcing the blade his way as he stands, unfazed with the same smile.

"And I'll blow your head right off you pretty shoulders." He counters, pulling his level 5, glowing blue gun out from under his jacket, holding it at arms length towards me.

I stop and freeze. He's going to kill me.

"Ah stop looking so scared your majesty, do you really think I'd kill a monarch in her own home come now." He laughs before putting on a suddenly, and almost shocking, sinister tone. "I'd kill her somewhere else." Before going back to his smile and tucking his gun back into his jacket as I slowly tuck my knife back into it's holder.

"Now, what exaclty is it you want from me?" I ask as I make my way past him and to one of the seats by the fire as he slowly does the same.

"Nothing much, just some time for us to talk over a drink."

"I'm not drinking anywhere near you."

"Fine, do as you wish, but we do need to talk. There is pressing matters to adress to." He says before suddenly standing, picking his cane back up and going for the door.

"I'll expect to see you at my mansion...hm..tonight? Yes, yes that'll be great, tatty-bye!" And with that, he opened the door and slamed it as I quietly called his name out after him, reaching his way in utter confusion. What could this mean?

'There is pressing matters to adress to'? What could he have meant?

Slowly, thinking everything over, I stood from my seat and I muttered his name under my breath once more. It was so odd having him be so confident in such a way. Not that Reaver isn't confident, he definitely is, it's just that he was so certain on something happening, that being me going to his mansion. He was so confident to the point that he was happily going to shoot me in the face if I objected, which isn't exactly odd of him but it shook me.

Then, once again, the door to the drawing room opened.

"Oh, your lady, I'm sorry I've intruded, I meant to knock."

When I looked up, I noticed that one of the old generals from the war camps, Ben Finn, was at the door looking at me.

"Oh, Ben. No, no it's alright. What are you doing here?" I ask him, standing from my seat and approaching him, shaking his hand tightly and warmly with a smile.

"I dunno really. I was given orders from Logan to quickly go check the treasury." He said, rubbing the back of his head rather awkwardly as the fire at the back of the room roared.

"Logan? Treasury? Logan doesn't even have a title anymore, why did you take the order?" I ask him rather casually, trying not to let angry get the better of me.

"I know but he scares me, don't he?" Ben said bluntly with almost a smirk as he knew he was in the wrong. I gave him one final smile before going to pass him by.

"Alright, you know where the treasury is anyway. I trust you not to touch anything." I say as I pass him by, making my way to the hallway.

"Of course, ma'am." He says after me, shutting the drawing rooms door and entering as I continued to go down the hallway to possibly make my way back into my room somehow.

As I walked, the same occurred; servants bowed to me and said 'My lady' as I passed them. Yet, I couldn't concentrate at all. I just couldn't stop thinking about Reaver and why he wanted me at his mansion. It seems so incredibly suspicious, and yet so innocent. Yet, what if he's trying to trick me to harm me?

Then, suddenly, I accidently bumped into someone whilst within my thoughts.

"Oh, my Queen, I apologise." I heard in the familiar voice of Logan who was standing rather tall to me, looking shocked and yet calm.

"Oh hello Logan." I began. "Would you care to tell me why you're ordering Ben Finn around?"

He suddenly began to look kinda nervous, as if he didn't want me to ask him that.

"It's nothing, I can assure you. We needed to check the treasury anyway, aren't we in debt?" He asks me.

"Yes indeed, violently in debt." I say as I bring my hand to my mouth and bite it softly, my teeth gripping around the skin on my right hand.

"Yes well we, well…I..wanted to know how much so we could maybe do something about it." He said with an almost dry way, looking as if he had failed.

"Don't worry, Logan. We'll figure out something." I say reassuringly, patting his shoulder slowly as I go to pass him by.

"But, Logan. Never order my soldiers around again." I say to him as I look over my shoulder at him, laughing slightly as he nods to me kindly and I begin to walk again.

After some time of walking in hallways and making my way around servants and many others that passed me, I made it to the outside of my room. I got all of my strength ready to batter down my probably locked door, until it suddenly opened.

"Ah, Hello!" Jasper, who was in front of me after just opening the door, staring at me as I stood in a ready stance.

"It's past morning time; you may come back in my lady." He said, going to the side of the door and bowing to me, giving me right of way.

 _ **What? How is it past 12pm already?**_

I walked into my room and I went over to my bed and sat on it heavily as my dog, Elliot ran up to me and started nudging my leg. With a smile, I sat back up and I leaned over to him and petted him lightly.

"Ello boy." I said as I patted his head as his 'smile' beamed up at me. This gave me the encouragement I needed to not be scared of the evening time. Yet, if I want to make it for at least 7pm, I'll need to start getting ready now because I'll have to walk.

I went back over to my dressing area and I began to get ready. Without much thought, I threw on a deep red short dress that came just to my thighs, a tight black corset and a broken dress cage on the back for an artistic touch with fresh flowers decorating it. I then went to my mirror and I threw rather dark makeup on to make my eyes more intense, and I was content. I was ready.

Then, I went for the door out of my room into the back courtyard, and I left, the sun high in the sky still. I walked through the court yard as all the noble men and ladies bowed over to me silently, respecting their queen kindly. Only then, I made my way out on the road.

As I walked slowly, the sky began to fall over Bowerstone as it was getting quickly dark and the streets became dark as Bowerstone industrial was bright in the distance as I made my way into Millfield, the location of Reavers infamous mansion.

As I walked, I suddenly heard rustling coming from what was left of the trees in the now industrial town and before I could react a group of bandits suddenly jumped out at me and formed a sudden circle around me.

"We've never killed a Queen before." I heard one mutter as I heard the sound of a gun being cocked back.

 _ **Shit, I'm dead. I forgot my gun.**_

They began to make their way around me, circling me before one lunged at me, knocking me straight in the face as I threw a punk, knocking them twice as hard as they hit me, making them fall face first into the ground as I suddenly felt a pain in my lower back.

I was shot.

And I feel to my knees before right onto my face as everything went black.

Awaking once more, I found myself in a room I did not recognise. It was red, exceedingly red, and had gold touched everywhere as well as a dim fire at the back, roaring away silently as a figure seemed to be sitting by the fire in a large chair, but I could see their arm resting as they held a glass of some kind of drink. I then looked down at myself and I noticed had bandages around my waist and my corset was missing.

"Hello?" I called out to the figure softly and silently as I breathed in the sweet, almost seducing smell in the room.

"Ah, you're awake."

 _ **Is that…Reaver's voice?**_

The figure stood and began to turn and walk towards me, and I saw it was Reaver himself without his jacket or hat, smirking at me. Instinctually, I began to panic.

"Don't move." He said bluntly as he came to the side of the bed and sat on it right beside me.

"If it wasn't for that ridiculously tight corset, your kidneys would be ripped right out of your body right now, you are a smart girl." He says as if almost taunting me, but I smile.

I'd heard of it before, but I didn't know it was true. That tight corsets can save a life, which is funny to be fair.

"Wait, how did you find me?" I asked him, suddenly remembering that I was in the street a good 2 miles from his mansion.

"I was on a night walk and I found you face down bleeding buckets and I swear my Queen I almost died at the sight. All my nice new soil being ruined by your blood, how rude." He said in a sarcastic and mocking way, smirking at me as I gritted my teeth.

 _ **Night walk? Bullshit, you never walk anywhere.**_


	2. Chapter 2 - The party

"I see." I mutter to myself, trying my best to dismiss my own thoughts as I look up at him as he smirks again.

"Now, I think it's time that we get a drink, no?" He says to me, standing from the bed side and bowing over to me to give me right of way.

Wincing in pain, I attempt to sit up the best I can, but I stop and lay back down as I felt my wound ripping apart, shaking my head to him to show that I cannot move properly.

He sighs deeply to me, obviously disapointed.

"Alright, come here then my Queen." He said leaning over and suddenly picking me up bridal style and I freak out.

"R-Reaver!" I shout out in horror as he keeps his arms wrapped around me, smirking largely.

"Come now my Queen don't be so fearful, I'm taking you to my common room so we may drink the night away!" He says in his happy and dismissing way, starting to walk with me through hallways of his mansion and into a large room with two black leather chairs, a lit fire and dim lighting. He then went over to one of the chairs and sar me down before grabbing two filled glasses already on a table just infront of us and handing me one before sitting down himself, crossing his legs and smirking.

"Ah yes, here we are my Queen." He says with a smirk. "Now we may speak." He says ajusting himself to be looking at me properly.

"Now, the thing I'm going to ask of you may be shocking." He leaned over to me and I felt another twang of fear inside of me.

"I want you...to pretend to..come to me to the hunts ball this weekend." He said, lowering his head and voice down.

"What? Is that all? You got the Queen of this country shot to ask her that? Are you mad, Reaver?" I ask him, going to stand from my chair to go over to him to punch him, but the way stopped me.

"No it's just that you see my dear it is tonight and I thought you'd come here anyway." He said as he looked back up and smiled at me.

"You bastard." I mutter to myself and I attempt to stand again, managing to finally stand.

"I'm going back to the room where I awoke. I will come out when I hear music." I hiss at him as my back is consumed back pain. I then hear him call my name out after me, but I continue to walk and I make my way back into the room I awoke from and I went back over to the bed.

"The Hunts ball? Why did he want me to go with him?" I ask myself before going to lay down on the bed, and I do, accidently falling asleep.

I suddenly awake to the noise of loud music playing and I sit up with a fright, suddenly remembering where I was.

How long...was I asleep?

Sitting up slowly, I look at the door of the room and it was slightly open as if someone had been in the room at some point of my sleep, but there is no trace of anyone. Sitting up properly I reach to the end of the bed where my corset was and I wrapped it back around my wasit before securing it back onto my body before standing up and going for the door as he music got louder and louder as well as the sound of voices. As I make my way into the hall there are people all around me, all of them in masks talking to each other with drinks in hand and I make my way into the main place where the music was loudest and the sound of talking was most apparent. As I made my way in the place was filled to the brim with people and I casually made my way through them and I couldnt see a single person I recognised. So, I leaned against the wall and I just began to listen. As the music changed everyone got into a circle and began to dance with each other gracefully and smoothly before a man suddenly approched me.

"Hello there." He said to me with a smile and a glass in hand, a black mask covering his face.

"Hello." I say back with a half smile, crossing my arms.

"My names Jack, it's a pleasure to meet you m'lady." He says beginning to now smirk.

"Yes indeed I agree." I say giving him a slight nod as I look back to the dancers.

"So, you new to these kind of parties?" He asks me, coming towards me slowly.

"What? A hunt ball?" I ask him as he puts on hand on the wall by my head, leaning over me.

"Yeah. That's why you're not wearing a mask, ain't it?" He says as he gets real close to my face.

"You're our little toy tonight, ain't you? Only the sacrifice doesn't wear a mask."

What? What the fuck? I'm...the sacrifice?

I begin to panic and I don't know what to do.

"G-Go away!" I shout at him as he leans in even closer.

"Ah, shut up love, come here." He looks as if he was about to grab me, but he suddenly puts on a face of shock and then he falls back as Reaver is revealed.

"My lady." He says in a paniced way, taking a step towards me, gun in hand as the crowds are looking my way. I stand there, terrified and shaking.

"My..lady." He repeats to me, walking right up to me slowly.

"Is that it then? I'm your sacrifice to keep you young?" I say making my way around him, throwing him out of the way and running through the crowds and making my way out of the room.

"My Queen!" He shouts after me, beginning to run after me as I continue to run, holding back tears. They weren't tears of sadness, they were tears of sudden fear. I didn't care to even look back at Reaver.

I don't think any more and I continue to run and I make it back to the castle.

"My lady, it's 6am, it's finally time to arise." I hear in Jaspers voice to the right of my bed as I bat open my eyes. It's been 4 months since the events with Reaver and his party and I hadn't heard from him since. I hadn't gotten into contact with him and he hadn't got into contact with me. We kept seperated.

"My lady, come now, sit up." Jasper says impatiently as I attempt to wake up. I slowly open my eyes fully and I notice the darkness in the room and I notice it is raining heavily outside. I sit up slowly sit up in my bed as Jasper draws over all of my curtains again.

"Ah, we don't need to look outside today m'lady." He said with a smile as he turned and bowed to me as he went to the door of my room as I sat proped up in bed.

"Oh, yes of course. Did you hear the headlines this morning?" He asks me with a smile as I look over to him with a returned smile.

"What was it again? Ah yes it was that Bower lake is getting weaker and that Millfields industry is getting better." He says.

"Thank you for that Jasper." I say as I go to stand up.

"Oh and one more thing." He says as he goes for the door handle.

"It was said that that man Reaver has fleed Millfield. I think that's it. Good day, my lady." He then turned and went out of the door, slamming it behind him as the rain poured outside.

Did I...hear him right? Reaver has fled Millfield?

As I stand up I go to my dressing quarters and I put on gothic wear again to match the weather outside and I stand and think. Why would he leave? Maybe something has happened to him...

I have to go find him.

Without another thought I open the doors from my room out onto the steps I stare out into the rain as the sky rumbles lowly. Why do I even care enough to go find Reaver? He doens't care about me and I don't really care for him but...he does run Bowerstone Industrial and I do need him for that. I must go.

I immeditly run out the doors, leaving them open and running out into the rain, getting immeditly drenched. Where could I go? Where could he go? Where would he go? I need to find a town crier, out of the castle grounds I make my way into the almost empty streets and I hear shouting and I notice it to be the town crier and I try to listen though the extremley heavy and loud rain.

"This just in! Master Reaver fled Albion!"

Albion? He's left Albion?...

Wait, now I know. He's in Auroa...that place with the darkness. Why would he go there?


	3. Chapter 3 - Aurora

I stop and I begin to think to myself once again. Why would I, the Queen of Albion, adventure all the way to Aurora for some man I hardly knew. All the way, and possibly risking my life for…Reaver? Why do I even care enough?

Thinking to myself, I shut my eyes and raised my head up to the sky, letting the heavy rain batter my face as I breathed in the cold air gently in an attempt to think and calm down. What was I to do? If I was to go, who is to say he would even be there? Aurora isn't just one city; it's a whole world of sand and catacombs.

Opening up my eyes and bowing my head back over, I realise my thoughts. I cannot abandon Albion for one person. I can't go. Even if I wish to. I slowly turn and I trod back to the castle, slowly and with a feeling of depression.

It was another raining day, the winter time finally taking a firm grip of Albion and it was now 6 months since anyone had seen Reaver since his party and I had nearly completely forgot about him and the conversation we had passed and returned. Yet, I felt emptiness in my life. He was the annoyance in my life that was terrorizing my subjects, keeping me busy most days with having to go shout at him for being insufferable, reckless and psychotic as he shoots down any old worker for taking more than a 3 second break from manual labour. I hate Reaver; I honestly do with every inch of me but...

"My lady!" I suddenly heard as the sound of my door being battered open sounded.

"It's Bowerstone Industrial. The people aren't working." I heard in Jaspers voice as my head cocked off to the side to see him standing there. Without a word to him, I jumped up and practically threw myself at my dressing area and I threw on the first things I could see. A black shirt, a black corset and black skin tight leather leggings and I tied a red sash around my waist as a belt before running out into the hallway, grabbing a sword from the rack on the way by and securing my fire and sword glove onto my left hand, running though crowds of concerned servants. All were saying things like 'We're ruined!' or 'We're going to lose our jobs' as I ran through them at a fast pace, suddenly and accidently bumping into Logan again.

"Logan, is it true? Are the people no longer working?" I ask him in a frantic tone as he looks at me in a panicked way.

"Yes, it be true. Where is that man Reaver anyway? He's the only one who can keep those people in check!" He says in almost an angry way as he pushes his way past me and going to the crowds of servants trying to make them be quiet and I keep going down the left hallway, trying to find an inconspicuous way out of the castle so my subjects do not see me and think that I am trying to escape in fear. I go through several halls, full of paintings and random sculptures before coming to the servant's kitchen and going out the back door on the left side of the room and into the back garden that's full with statues, flowers and a view of Bowerstone Industrial which…didn't have any smoke coming from it. Lords and Ladies of all kinds noticed me, looking at each other in confusion as to why their Queen was running around so frantically and very quickly but I kept running down the steps and towards the tombs where my mother is buried, the last hero of Albion. I make it to the catacomb steps and I force my way down before pushing open the doors and I begin to make my way through the tunnel system. I push my way through bats and Hobbes until I make it to her large grave and I step on the guild seals just by them before using my powers and teleporting to the sanctuary.

"Ah, hello." I hear in Jaspers voice as the place is revealed to me and I immediately go for the table in the middle on the room and I stare down.

"I'm going to find Master Reaver, okay? We can't have the industry failing, especially with our debt. Albion will be ruined if we don't get him back here." I say as I look over to Jasper slowly as he nods to me, understanding with what I was saying. Then, I leaned forwards and I tapped on Aurora city and it all went black.

My vision restoring once more, I felt warmth all around me and I realised that it had worked and that I was in the hot desert country of Aurora. It was calm and it seemed to be dawn as I could see darkness and yet light and there were little people around. Everyone who saw my although smiled to me and gave me a brief bow in a form of respect and I did the same back before beginning my search around the city. I went to most houses and most doors and nobody had any idea where he was and some had no idea who he was and it gave me a huge feeling of discouragement. Then, it hit me. Reaver is very, very old because he uses sacrifices to stay young and I know for a fact that he has to go every year to place to do it, but whom and where does he go to? Maybe…he's with the darkness. It could make sense. Maybe they use him for souls and he uses them for life…

Without another thought I being running in the way of the open sand and I begin to run as fast as I can, sword in hand as those odd black sand creatures appear from nowhere and I slash and rip at the shadow like creatures until they scram and disappear into thin air, some running off terrified as I make my way towards the huge fortress in the background where I had adventured with Walter before his death. It must've taken about 40 minutes before I reached the fortress, but I made it, covered in my own blood and some black substance from those creatures and I made my way inside. It took me a second due to the abruptness, but I saw it. I saw four large shadow figures floating there, as if people with hoods up, looking right at me.

"Re-va?" One of them called out in a broken and gravelly voice and I shook my head.

So, I was correct.

"No, I am the Queen of Albion. I have come for him." I say in the strongest voice I could manage as I began to feel very intimidated by the huge figures in front of me.

"Ah, a Queen!" I heard in a lower voice from one. "Yes…Yes you will do!" They whispered as a black shadow began to approach me and got into a readied stance as it came towards me and I slashed and hacked at it…but it just kept reforming until it was making its way up my legs and I screamed out in horror.

"Hehe, he said he had something nice for us this time." I heard a higher voice say as the shadows raised me up from the ground and began to take a firm grip on me as I struggled and swayed in an attempt to somehow get free, but it didn't work.

Fine. If my death will compensate for Bowerstone coming back to life, I'll do it. I'd rather be remembered as the Queen who died for her people anyway.

I shut my eyes hard as I heard the deep, demonic laughing of the shadow people and it was getting closer. They were going to kill me.

I then heard something odd. I heard the sound of someone walking in slowly and casually before their feet scuffled, as if they got a sudden shock or had to do a double take and I then heard the sound of metal drop, the similar sound to when a sword is dropped and what seemed to be fast running. Then I heard it.

"Unhand her!"

Reaver?...Reaver!

"R-Rea-…Reav-.." I choked out as I felt the air being squeezed out of my body slowly as I attempted to struggle a little again.

"Fucking drop her!" I heard in Reaver's voice, and it made me jump. His voice sounded…as if he was terrified. I've never heard him sound ever more than slightly amused before…this is…so strange.

"Ah, Reaver." One of the shadow voices almost purred as the air continued to leave my body.

"She isn't my sacrifice. Let her down." He said in a slow way, as if having to force himself to say it.

"Oh, but she's so nice although. This could be enough payment for 10 years, Reaver. You wouldn't need to visit us for years. Just let us have her." The demonic toned voice called out to him with almost a laugh in his voice, taking obvious amusement from the situation.

There was a pause. A large pause. Nobody spoke or moved as obvious thinking was going on. Since I can't open my eyes, I can only imagine Reaver. He'll be standing there, twirling his cane in thought, almost breaking his hand due to a hard grip of anger.

"I-I….I-..." He stuttered out tentatively as then then I heard several echoed voices laughing manically.

"So, he's choosed." It says as the grip around me tightens and I let out a struggled scream for help before I felt sudden release. I had completely passed out cold.

"My Queen? My liege? My lady?" I heard in an echoed voice as I slowly began to open my eyes again.

"Rea- ver?" I stutter out, reaching out into the darkness only to feel my hand being held.


	4. Chapter 4 - The Sudden Movement

I couldn't tell if it was him due to the fact that I couldn't open my eyes for the life of me, but I recognised the feeling of his leather gloves which he had wore when he first visited me in the castle all that time ago. I then felt something I never quite expected, the feeling of my body being lifted from the ground. It can't be him doing this I'm almost sure, but the fact is that he's here which means I should be saved. Although, it'll always bother me that he didn't choose me to be his sacrifice. He had the chance to be free from them for a few years and he even stuttered, but after the shadow court mistook his final answer, he must've either somehow managed to get me down or sacrifice a random villager from Aurora...or something else. I haven't seen myself yet and I can't see nor feel anything, maybe I'm blind or am missing a leg for part time payment?

"I apologise." I heard in his voice as he spoke in a low, obviously drained/unamused tone. It was the voice I usually hear from him after I reject one of his building requests, an annoyed and 'done' tone.

"I-I.." I stutter out, feeling as if my neck was being held by something still as he held onto me.

Why is he even holding me?

Then, I began to feel a hotness all over my body and I realised it was the now risen sun of Aurora beating down on my body as piercing through my heavy clothes. I even heard Reaver panting, his clothes that keep in warm in Albion becoming a burden in this desert. Just then, I heard the groans and mumbles of those sand creatures that had attacked me all those times before, I felt myself being suddenly dropped with a large thud right on my back as Reaver released his grip on me. I thought for a second he had gotten terrified and had run off, until I heard:

"Ah! I do love a good scrap!" In his fancy tone as the sound of him drawing his gun from his holster became apparent and the sound of shooting. In pure curiosity, I took my chances and attempted to open my eyes (even though there was that chance I was blind) and I forced them open, the sunlight flooding into them and making me blind for a second before my blurry vision adjusted. Reaver, the usually upright man who is never even seen walking, was running around the forever string of sand creatures, throwing them around and shooting them at large distances and punching them at point blank range, laughing the whole time in a cocky way. Never before have I ever seen him so agile and alive, not even at his parties.

When all of the creatures in sight were dead, he readjusted his jacket with a smile and he tucked his gun away again before drawing his cane and walking over to me as if nothing had happened at all.

"Now that was fun." He said with almost a laugh as he picked me up again, the muscles in his body obviously tense from the dire situation he was just in.

"Rea-ver?" I muttered out to him as he held me.

"Ahh, so she does talk! Hello my lady." He said in that irritable accent again as he began to walk with me. I don't remember much else, but I must've passed out around that point.

As I slept, nightmares phased my mind. Nightmares of my kingdom getting ruined, nightmares of my people hating me…nightmares of Reaver dying. They say that what's left of the darkness in Aurora is just powerful enough to mess with your mind, and it definitely was. They say that the darkness taps into your greatest fears but…why do I even care about what happens to Reaver? Maybe because he saved me he was on my mind. I'm sure that's all.

"My lady? Are you maybe ready to awaken?" I heard in Jaspers voice to my right, and I batted open my eyes to see him standing at my bed side with a wet cloth in hand as if he was dabbing my forehead.

"What happened?" I asked in a rough tone as I went to sit up in bed, it becoming apparent that I was back in my room in the castle.

"You've been asleep for quite a while. The doctor said that the darkness had really affected you! You've been asleep for over a month." Jasper said as he set the cloth down on my bed side table and sitting just on my bedside, looking at me with a concerned look.

"A month?" I ask in a surprised tone as it occurs to me that anything could've happened in that time whilst I was 'gone'. I then began to panic for my kingdom, what if my dreams became reality? I then gave Jasper a panicked look as I sat up more in fear.

"Don't worry, my lady. Everything is just fine in Albion. Bowerstone Industrial and Millfield are up and working again and some of our debt has been payed off due to this success." He smiles to me kindly as I settle back down in bed again with a smile as Jasper stands.

"I'll bring you some tea later, for now I say you rest." He said in a kind way and he began to walk over to the door of my room, continuing to smile to me.

"Oh and one more thing I forgot to say." He began looking over his shoulder. "That man Reaver has been here visiting you as you slept every day. He seemed very concerned for someone as cynical as him if you don't mind me saying." He nodded to me, taking a hold of the door.

"No, it's fine." I say, now beginning to bite my hand in thought.

Reaver…visiting me? I guess all that matters is that he's running the industry again…

I lay down in my bed for about another 20 minutes before I got up an got dressed into my usual gothic attire, and I actually did my makeup nicely and made myself look more put together and I then went for the door. As I walked out, I heard several servants gasp inwards and bow fast and gracefully.

"My lady!" Some yelled in a happy tone, others yelling. "My, she's up and about!"

 _I do love my subjects._

As I walked around the halls, my heels clicking, I did the usual and I bumped into someone I knew, Logan.

"It's good to see you awake, sister." He said in his monotone voice, looking at me with a smile (well, if you could call it a smile).

"It's good to be awake, brother." I replied to him with a smirk, bowing my head to him momentarily as a sign of respect.

"So, what have I missed?" I ask him with a beamed smile, getting ready to hear all of the gossip of Albion.

"Well." He began slowly. "You know my personal maid, Julia?" He asked me as if he was about to smile real big for once.

"Yes?" I asked in a readied tone.

"She…" He began before looking around and leaning into me and whispering. "She went off with that man Reaver. Imagine that." He said in an almost laughing tone, leaning back out and smirking at me.

"Oh." I say, very disappointed with what he had said, looking down with a half frown.

"Now, sister, I must go attend to the army again. Ben Finn has been acting up." He said with a smile as he leaned in, kissed me on the cheek, and went past me walking down the hall as the servants bowed to him in an almost cowering way, some of them still afraid of the ex-king of Albion.

I stood there for a second before thinking to myself.

 _I need a drink._

And I began to make my way to the drawing room on the other side of the castle.

As I entered the room, the fire at the back of the room glowed a bright orange, dying the room an almost romantic colour as I slammed the door as I entered. I then went over to a metal tray placed on a table and I picked up a glass bottle full of…something and I poured it into one of the glasses before going to sit back down. I slumped myself down on one of the chairs and I took a large gulp of the liquid and it made me twitch slightly before I sighed to myself.

 _Albion is saved…why am I so stressed?_

Just then, I heard the door slam in an almost dire way, as if someone had just ran into the room and I heard their heavy breathing, as if they'd been running.

"My…Queen…"

I turned around to see Reaver, leaning on his cane, panting in and out and staring at me with a worried expression.

"Oh, hello." I say blandly as I see him, the talk of him being with Logan's maid getting to me.

"I heard it the streets and I just had to come! 'The Queen has awaken' I heard them say and I just had to come running to see if it was true." He explained walking over to me, his legs obviously shaking due to the fact he was running, and he sat down in the leather chair opposite me.

"Huh. You running? What an odd sight I'm sure." I say, almost completely dismissing the fact that he had just ran all the way from Millfield to the castle just to see if I was truly awakened. To be fair, it is a kind gesture, but I'm sure a lot of people would've done the same.

"It is I can assure you it must be, the way people stare give me life. No, literally I mean it. The people who stare are the ones I choose for sacrifices, it's their own faults for being intruding." He laughed off , crossing his legs and looking up to me.

"Now, my Queen, how about we go to my mansion and have a few drinks there?" He asked me, leaning on his crossed knee and looking at me with a huge smirk.

"I've already told you Reaver, I'm not ever drinking around you." I almost hiss at my, squeezing the glass in my hand.

"But you're doing it now." He points out, his smile getting smugger.

"Shut up." I demand to him, setting the glass down heavily on a small table next to the chair.

"Oh come now my Queen, you weren't even enjoying yourself at my last event!"

"That's because I was your sacrifice."

"Oh tish-tosh, no you weren't! That man was just drunk and that's why I shot him."

"Reaver you literally shoot everyone."

"Oh come now my lady, just join me…just you and me!" He said in a happy tone, putting a hand under his chin as he stared at me with a smile and it makes me angrier and I accidentally say what's on my mind.

"Why don't you have drinks with Logan's maid?" I shout at him, throwing my hands up to prove the sarcasm of which I was speaking. He sat there for a second, his happy expression faded and he just stared at me, his face in shock.

"Logan's…maid?" He says as if thinking to himself, before his expression gets even more shocked and he bites his gloved hand, obviously realising what I had just said.

"Yes." I began in a strong voice, standing up and towering above him as he sat, slumped at very unsophisticated.

"You must return her by tomorrow morning or I shall…I shall have you...imprisoned." I say in a strong tone as he gives me a look of pure confusion.

"What? Me playing has never been a problem before!" He yelped at me, getting restless in his seat and standing up.

"Yes but this is Logan's personal maid. She is royal property, we must have her back from you." I say, folding my arms across my chest.

"What? So this is a problem but my actually being with Logan himself isn't?" He asked me, shrugging his shoulders.

"You're vile." I uttered to him as it occurred to me once more that Reaver had kind of slept with…everyone.

"Fine." He said with a sigh. "After I came all the way here to see you!" He said in a fake, sad tone acting as if his heart was aching.

"Yes I went all the way to the shadow court in Aurora for you!" I shouted at him, and he smirked at me.

"Why did you come?" He said, crossing his arms over with a smile, sitting down on the arm of the chair.

"The industry of Albion was ruining and I needed you back to govern it." I said as he looked at me in a thoughtful way.

"She came all the way to Aurora to get a man she was just going to imprison anyway? Oh my, how ironic!" He laughed, standing once more and beginning to walk towards me.

"This is about me, isn't it?" He asked as he walked my way, his cane striking the floor with every step he took and he smirked at me and I began to walk backwards away from him.

"No it's about the industry!" I shouted at him as my back touched the wall of the room as he continued to walk.

"Haha, yes indeed and next you'll tell me you're angry over me having 'royal property' and not over me being with someone." He said as he stopped right in front of me as I looked up at him in fear.

 **Was he about to hurt me?**

"I-I.." I stuttered out as he moved his face closer to mine.

"Hush." He ordered as he suddenly force himself forwards to me as our lips harshly touched and he began to kiss me and in the heat of the moment, I began to kiss him back hard. I heard him grip onto the wall the best he could before taking one of my hands at my side and holding it as he held his cane in the same hand. His kiss wasn't too much like how I could've expected it to be. I expected it to be dirty and very harsh and almost forceful, but…this was different.

He then suddenly pulled back.

"There, does that prove my case?" He asked me as he smiled and I nodded my head slowly and steadily, taking a deep inhale and breathing out hard as he stayed close to me before he took a step back.

"Oh my." He said looking at the wall. "Look at the time! I'll never make it back to Millfield in time for the opening of that new bridge if I don't go now." He looked over to my and gave me one final smile.

"Now, I hope you shall visit later my Queen. Tatty-Bye!" He said as he suddenly went for the door and walked out, leaving as abruptly as he came in. And I stayed there, up against the wall, shell-shocked, until I slowly slid down it to my knees, astounded.


	5. Chapter 5 - The Other Party

It was hard to say exactly how much time had passed since that event and how long I was just sitting there on the ground thinking to myself about what he did again and again. I know he was only trying to prove his point, and yet still, I feel as if this event is always going to bother me. It probably took me about 30 minutes, but I finally stood up from the ground, using my back against the wall to steady myself. I looked down and sighed deeply to myself before looking over to the door and making my decision, I was going to go to Reaver's mansion.

Midnight struck the clock faster than anything and I decided that it would be a good time to leave, my aim to make it for 12:30am if I could. I steadily made my way through Bowerstone, through the Industrial side before getting into Millfield, making sure to bring a sword with me this time. I fought through several bands of Balverines, just attempting to run through several hordes before I made it to Reaver's mansion, it lit to top to bottom as people stood all around. Lords and ladies of all kind stood together with the poorest of Albion, the soldiers stood arm in arm with the ruffians of the world and even in the right corner stood my own friend Ben Finn, comparing gun shots with the richest of men. Reaver's party had seemed to bring different worlds together, letting people be who they are in the intimacy of the large party. As I managed to get through the crowds, no-one seeming to care who I was, I stood and looked into the building as the large front doors were swung open at the whole voyeur was revealed and I slowly walked in. As I walked in, I noticed that there were candles everywhere and there was a piano being played and the smell of alcohol was nearly to an obnoxious extent. People danced around the main hall as other stood and spoke as a woman dressed in all white stood against the piano and sand along with the music. As I made my way through the people more I found myself on the staircase where several people seemed to either be asleep of completely passed out drunk, but soon enough I found myself in that same little room that Reaver had tested me and Page in all that time ago, spinning that wheel of doom at the back that looked deactivated and all of the gates had big locks on them. People were everywhere in the small place. The upper level, the lower level, just dancing and talking away as if tomorrow didn't exist. The atmosphere was happy and high instead of eerie like it was here before, and before I knew it, I was pulled in by a random man and he pulled me into the dance circle. I was tossed and turned from male to female and I laughed as it happened, enjoying myself greatly, as if it was a ball I had hosted myself in the castle. Then, my waist was taken by someone and they pulled me around gracefully holding me close as the music began to change and it seemed that everyone made a circle around , letting us dance in the very middle. It took me a second, but looking up properly I noticed that it was Reaver just with his goggles from his hat down over his eyes, and he smiled at me as he lead me.

"Ahh! Hello my Queen!" He said in a happy tone as we turned and moved to the music playing. I looked into his glassy frames and I smirked.

"Oh my sir! Taking a lady by her waist is most inappropriate! "I say pushing him off me at the perfect time of the music and we both clap our hands together whilst away from each other as a part of the dance before we come back together. He takes a light hold of my lower waist, enough for me to roll my head and chest back and make eye contact with him again, our dance together becoming less sophisticated and more…his style.

"Haha, well my lady perhaps we can dance…elsewhere." He said with a deep smirk as we span back and forth across the room as others did also, and I smirked back.

"Yes, how about it?" I say, letting the tension between us harden up even more and he suddenly stops dancing with me, pulls me in incredibly close and mutters:

"Follow me."

He takes my hand suddenly and starts pulling me fast through the hallways and people until we get into a quiet hall, and we find ourselves in the bedroom I had slept in before and he shut the door gently, taking his goggles off to reveal his eyes to me.

"My liege." He says, putting a hand out to me. I slowly go over to him and I take it with a smile and he pulls me in close as the sound of the piano echoed in nearly a creepy way in the background. I thought for a second that he was going to do someone else, but he lightly pushed my head forwards with his other hand so my head was rested gently on his chest and he then began to sway from side to side before lightly starting to hum to himself the same tune as the piano was playing.

It was so strange being with him like this. I've always, and I do mean always, known Reaver for being an obnoxious, ruin of a rake, piratical man of unguided hate, not knowing right from wrong at any time but this is…different. Never would I expect him to act like this.

"Now my Queen, I know we fight and such." He began as he slowly span me around his warm, dim lit bedroom.

"And I know I play and tease you but…I have a confession." He said with almost a broken voice, as if extremely nervous to say something.

I waited on his response. What could it be?

"Well, my Queen, the thing is that I…I..."

"Ey! Master Re-Va! Those wimmons yous been wantins has been getting tired of waiting you. Yous gonna go get em?" We both head in broken English as Barry Hatch, Reaver's long-time companion stuck his head around the door and practically shouted at us.

I stopped, and I looked at Reaver as his face lost a bit of colour.

"Really? _Again_?" I ask standing away from him and folding my arms across my body, Barry Hatch at the door looking very confused.

"So, uh... You want 'em or not?" Barry asked him in his thick accent.

"I-I…Just send them away, now!" He shouted at him, turning at him and giving him a death stare before Barry immediately ran off, slamming the door. Reaver then turned to look at me with a frown before trying to smile.

"Oh come now my Quee-"

"Don't try that here, Reaver. I should never have given you one last chance to be a good person." I say to him, walking away from him and going for the door.

"Please do not leave over something so small." He said, coming after me and taking a grip of my arm, and I growl at him.

"So small? Reaver, are you this blind to other people's emotions?" I shout at him, shaking my arm away from him so he unhands me, and he does, taking a step back and looking shocked.

"Others…emotions?" He asks me with a shaky tone, as if I had given him a horrible flashback and he then suddenly looks at me with the darkest look I've ever seen.

"Do you…even understand why I'm like this?" He asks, beginning to come towards me with a gripped fist and an angry look.

"What?" I let out, walking backwards away from him till I get up against the back wall as he continues to look angry.

"Yes, I understand." He says in almost a forced laugh way. "You're the Queen. Why should you care for others and why they are the way they are?! All you care for is your own personal gain." He said to me in a dull way, bowing his head to me.

"Says you, the man who has slept with everyone!" I accidentally blurt out and he looks shocked before going back to evil.

"That's because I've been alive for over-…Ugh. Get out." He says as his tone keeps low and he frowns at me. I stand there for a second before he looks at me.

"Get out!" He shouts at me suddenly and in absolute fear I turn and begin to get out of the mansion, around all the people, through all the hallways as sadness knots up inside of me.

In one night, I have seen Reaver as the happiest man and as the most broken man I've ever seen in my whole life. I messed up. Big time. He hates me. I can't actually remember it, but I ran home real fast and I made it to the castle for 3am, not even being out for over 3 hours. It was in the headlines and all that Reaver had kicked me out and rumours about why I would even be there began to spring up all over Albion but it didn't faze me. Reaver made no comments about it, apart from him calling me a 'self-centred' person, and it hurt me a lot but I decided to forget it. To forget him and to continue running Albion as the great ruler the people knew.


	6. Chapter 6 - The Shadow Court

Once again, a large amount of time passed whilst me and Reaver were apart. I spent the entire time away from him feeling like the guiltiest person in the world and I was struggling to get up everyday. I mean, he hates me that's for sure, but why do I, the Queen, even care?

"My lady?" I heard in Jasper's voice, as he leaned forward to me as I sat day dreaming in my throne, in front of the large crowd. I jumped at the sound of his voice before sitting back up properly.

"Y-Yes? I'm sorry what is it you said?" I quickly asked the man at the front of the crowd as he looked at me in a very concerned way.

"My Queen." He began as the crowd in the throne room stood still and silently.

"You must understand, Queen! Our people are dying in Industrial! Your men have been hurting us more and more!" As he said that, the whole crowd began to cheer and I sat up more in my seat.

What's been going on since I've been out...gallivanting?

"Industrial people being treated badly? Well, we can't be having that! I order that all workers come underneath a new law to be treated fairly." I say, keeping my arms folded across my chest as the people begin to cheer and the man jumps in seemingly happiness.

"Thank you, my Queen!" He says as he jumps up to me and bows.

The room was then cleared and I was left there sitting in my throne, my face in my hands, tired more than anything in the world. Others tried to console me but I asked them to leave me alone, and they did, with no hesitation or thought. In a decision to clear my head, I made my way out.

It was another dark and raining day and I had found myself walking through Oakfield in the older parts in Albion, my dress trailing behind me on the dirt road as the people of Albion walked around. I looked up to the sky and sighed as something began to feel misplaced for me, something off. The feelings inside of me were muddled somehow. They felt as if they were confused and yet content with life, it was just so...off. To clear my head, I had made my way to Oakfield over 3 days ago as it really does take that long to get there just to get away from the smoke of the new Albion. I had left a note specifying that this is where I could be, and if anyone really wanted to see me they could take the 3 day travel to come.

"Hello. My lady." I heard to my sudden right, and I turned to see Ben Finn standing there with a smirk looking at me. I hadn't really realised it, but I had walked all the way to the bridge going to the monastery.

"Ben." I said with a smirk as he looked on at me with a tired look, but with a smile ever still.

"My lady, there's a problem." He said as his smile began to fade and he began to frown, and I stopped, a frown very much unlike him.

"What is it? Did you honestly come all the way here to tell me?" I asked him quickly, turning to him as he rubbed his eyes.

"Well, it's Millfield again. It's under attack from the darkness." He said almost blankly, as if it was an everyday occurrence.

"Are you joking? Millfield is at least a 3 day walk away!" I shout at him, my voice suddenly properly getting his attention and he suddenly stood up straight.

"I know ma'am, we're suggesting that you leave now." He said, bracing upright.

"Yes, let us go." I say and without another thought, I begin running down the dirt road with Ben following right behind me.

We travelled together for 3 days, night and day, not stopping once. I couldn't leave my people alone in this time of crisis; I had to get there fast. We passed many a people, who I would've loved to have helped, but I just didn't have the time to stop and do anything, I just knew that if the darkness was back that I had to do something. As I got back into the newer side of Albion and I hit Bowerstone Industrial, there were people standing around murmuring things like 'What's going on?' and 'Is the darkness really back?'. Ben was so tired by the time we'd made it back into modern Albion, panting the whole way, myself not feeling it due to the fact that I am a Hero.

As I got to Millfield, a dark shadow was casted over it and everyone was running and screaming. Without a thought, I drew my sword and began swinging it into the black smog, but not making any affect.

"Ben, where is its advantage point?" I shout to him through the sound of the screaming.

"Over there, by Master Reaver's mansion." He shouted back, pointing over to the huge establishment over at the left side of Millfield.

This isn't the darkness...he didn't pay the shadow court.

"Hurry!" I shout to Ben as we force our way through the blackness as fast as we can, swinging at it and pushing people out of the way until we reach Reavers mansion. His gates were swung wide open and the statue of him that is just outside of his home was demolished on the ground, his face on it especially ruined and I gasped as I looked up to the darkened manor. I mouthed his name to myself silently before running for the doors and I slammed myself into them to find them to be locked. I tried again and again (even using my fire power once) and nothing worked, the doors would not open. Then, I had an idea. I immediately went to one of the lower level windows, braced hard and then threw myself at it as I heard Ben Finn gasp and I made my way inside, my face, arms and torso being cut by flying glass and my dress losing several parts. I stop for a second to catch my breath just as Ben Finn jumps in after me, gun in hand with a frantic look on his face. I then look up to see his staircase is almost completely destroyed and with no thought, I begin to make my way up them, jumping from ledge to ledge messily and half-hazardly until I make it to the top and I run into the dining area to see tables flipped and walls destroyed before making it to the entrance ball room, it having a gate over it. As I looked in, I saw the man himself, Reaver, standing in the middle as black figures approached him from every angle as he shot at them, his suit ripped and his face especially covered in blood. He was spinning and turning fast, as if a dance, to avoid the creatures as fast as he could until I saw one approach him from behind. I went to yell 'Watch out!', but it was too late. An almost clear, smoke made sword was jammed through his back and out of his chest as he stood there stunned, the black figures chuckling to themselves and he dropped to his knees and fell right over onto his face. With a sudden feeling of deep anger, I kicked at the gate full force and it smashed open as I immediately ran into the ball room and going over to Reaver. I didn't speak to him or try to awaken him, but I stood over him as the black figures continued to chuckle and laugh. I then looked over to Ben Finn.

"Ben, go now and take anyone you can see and bring them back here!" I shout as I brace myself again, ready to fight. He nods quickly before turning and running away, leaving me and the shadow court alone.

They all charge at once, lunging as I swish my sword, breaking up their smoke made bodies, keeping my stance right over Reaver. Yet, they slashed and hacked at me every chance they got, especially my face and neck. Just as I felt as if I could've fainted, Ben Finn ran back in, pushing a random un-harmed woman in front of him. He gave me a quick look of almost regret that he had just chosen someone for something he knew was bad willed, but I gave him a reassuring nod and he shoved the female forwards towards the black creatures.

"Shadow court, this is the sacrifice for Reaver. Take her now!" The black figures didn't take any more thought and they rushed at the woman as she screamed, but she was soon silenced as she evaporated into thin air as the court looked at me.

"We'll always remember you. Next time, you won't be so lucky." The biggest smoke creature said to me as it evaporated, as well as all the others and I felt Reaver shift underneath me, his life given back to him.

"Mhmn." He moaned under his breath, obviously in pain and confused. I then felt him turn and he then looked up to me.

"What?" He asked just as I felt myself drift off, and I began to pass out from blood loss and fatigue. I then fell, it what seemed to be slow motion as Ben Finn rushed in to catch me, and he did, lowering me to the floor slowly as my legs stayed sprackled over Reaver.

"Her...throat and...Face..." Reaver said to himself, pointing out the fact that I was obviously covered in my own blood.

"Did she...protect me?" He asked, his tone lower than usual as I lay on the cold floor, dazed and hurt.

"Is she...going to..?" He asked as he looked at Ben, and he shrugged his shoulders, confused if I was going to die or not. As Ben Finn shrugged, he suddenly began to panic and struggle to get to me and he came right over to me, beginning to hold onto me as his face was no longer bleeding as he was restored, his usual makeup back on and all. I glanced up and him in my tired state and I smiled.

"Do you...forgive me now?" I asked him with a smirk as I felt blood drip off my face, and he looked at me almost horrified.

"What do you mean 'Do I forgive you'?" He yelled at me, standing up and backing away from me a bit.

"Now, uh, mercenary chap?" He said, looking over to Ben Finn.

"Uh, Royal Guard Ben Finn, sir." Ben said, keeping by my side on the floor.

"Well yes whatever. Please get someone to...dispose of the body." He said dismissingly, waving his hand as I chocked suddenly with a fright at what he'd just said.

"Excuse me, Master Reaver, but you'll find that she isn't dead yet!" Ben shouted at him, using his hands to help me sit up at bit before Reaver reacted.

"No, no don't move her!" He said, taking a step forwards back towards me before standing still again, still in a braced position.

"Are you serious?" Ben began. "The Queen of Albion literally just almost gave her life for you and made sure you were safe and resurrected, but straight after when she's bleedin' to death, you step away and pretty much say 'Oh well, she's going to die anyway'? I knew you were sick, but this is a big leap in your arrogance Reaver. I'd have your head if it wasn't for the Queens decree." Ben shouts as Reaver stands there, dumbfounded at a citizen (one that he'd never met for that matter) standing up to him as if he was just another peasant of Albion, and he looked so displeased.

"What do you mean 'The Queens decree'?" He questioned him, leaning forwards on his now drawn cane on the marble floor.

"It's against any of our men's order to kill you because the Queen treasures you and you let her bleed out in the same place where we all know you tried to kill her before? It was true what you said Reaver, you are a poor host." Ben said, obviously specifically trying to hit his weak spot, how he runs his parties. I even saw Ben here once, so he must know that Reaver takes great pride in his social events.

"Me? A poor host?" He asked, holding himself as if he'd just been told someone had died.

"You know what? You can leave." Reaver said, using his hand in a flicking motion to say 'Go that way' and Ben looked offended.

"Really? After all-"

"Go!" Reaver said. Ben sighed and then went to lift me before Reaver smacked his cane on the floor, making a huge loud bang, and Ben reacted.

"Leave her." He said in a low tone, and Ben without a thought backed off from me, and I panicked a little. This was Reaver's chance to get his revenge on me for our petty argument.

"But..." Ben mouthed before Reaver drew his gun and pointed it towards him, and Ben gave me one last look, I managed a nod, and he ran out of the place faster than he got in.

"Now I must say what a troublesome lad. Me? A poor host? My, what arrogance." He almost laughed as he walked his way over to me, using his cane to balance himself.

I stared up at him, seeing his full intimidating height from the floor and I gulped hard and his smirk as he stood over me.

"Now, can you walk?" He asked me, and I shook my head and he sighed.

"Useless girl. You're a hero of Albion and yet you can't walk after a little trial with the shadow court? Oh come now, back when I was a hero I stood for hours." He then leant down to me, picked me up and he let his cane dig into my side, and he began to walk with me.

Even though I was in pain and was stunned, what he said didn't pass me by, I caught on. He said 'When I was a hero'. Did I really hear him correctly? Was Reaver...a hero? Now that I think, it could make so much sense. We all know Reaver is old, so what did he do in his younger days? Yet, what I do know is that he is extremely good with a gun, he has such a sharp shot it's almost terrifying and he loves fighting because he knows he won't lose. However, the thing that would make sense the most is that Reaver is so tall. He's taller even taller than my old friend Sir Walter Beck from back in the day, which is really saying something. It's true in history that all heroes are extremely tall, so could Reaver be a hero or does he just have the power of skill?

"Now, lie down." I heard in Reaver's bored voice. When I snapped out of thought, I realised that I was sitting on Reaver's bed. He must've brought me here to recover. I looked at him with a worried look and he sighed.

"Come now, we all know that lying down is so much easier than standing up." He said with a smirk as I lay back onto the red bed, looking the ceiling and sighing.

"Oh come now my dear girl, try to sleep." He says to me almost in a tired way, as if he hadn't slept in ages. I don't care what Reaver says, regenerated or not, that fight tired him out more than anything has in a while. He then stood away from the bed and began to walk away before I grabbed onto his wrist.

"Huh?" He questioned at my touch and I looked up to him before chocking out the word: "Stay."

"Me?" He said as if offended before smirking.

"Hm, alright, I'll stay here with you for the evening." He then walked over to his chair, set down his hat and removed his jacket before coming back over to the side of the bed and sat down on the side of it, taking my hand and smiling.

"Sleep now, you retched girl." He said as I felt myself fall asleep, the warmth from Reaver's hand calming me, and I drifted off to sleep.

When I awoke in the morning, I felt my hand being held no more and when I batted open my eyes; Reaver was not there by my side anymore. I sat up with a pain in my side again and I looked around the room. The fire was lit once again and his jacket was still draped over the chair from the night before. I threw my legs over the side of the bed to find myself still in my ripped dress and I made my way over to the chairs by the fire to find a note on the table. I leaned down, and picked it up and it read:

"Your majesty, I apologise but I was called out this morning to attend a personal matter. Yet, to prove that I will come back, I left my jacket here for you to see, smell, touch. Whatever floats your boat! Now, I'm aware you can't be feeling well but I have left one of those fancy dressing gowns for you to wear because I'm aware that your clothes are ruined. I have arranged for what's left of my staff to leave a bath for you so that should be all ready, you'll find it on the other side of the house. Oh and, I suggest to feel better that you take a drink of...well...whatever alcohol you can find lying around. I will be back before this evening to escort you home. Your faithful servant, Reaver."

I smirked at the note just as I noticed the said dressing gown, red of course, draped over the other chair. I took it into my hands and felt that same softness which you get on all Reaver Industry things and I then turned to make my way to get cleaned. I was covered in blood, scrapes and dirt and I felt as weak as I walked to the other side of the mansion to indeed find the bathroom as he said, water in a porcelain bath awaiting me. Knowing that I was the only one in the house, I left the door open as I got undressed and got into the hot water. I winced for a second as the hotness touched my cuts and scrapes, but after a while I settled. Something about this made me not want to go home, but I had to. I'd been away from the throne for too long...not that I really do much anyway now-a-days. I lay there for ages, thinking about life and cleaning myself off before getting out, drying myself with another Reaver Industry red and gold towel, before placing the gown on my body that was much more comfortable than my dress from before. I was almost sure that Reaver being the fashionable man that he is he might've left me a dress or something, but I guess I can understand. I mean, he can't really judge. I've seen painting of him from around 50 years ago, back then when he was apparently most active he really did dress more for comfort since he was always on his feet. I guess he understands the concept of fighting looking suave one day and then dressing in the most comfortable things you can the next to let yourself relax. Maybe that's why he left his jacket behind too. I just wonder why he still looks so young in those paintings. I mean, I know that he sacrifices people but...how old is Reaver?

Making my way back to the bedroom, I did as he said and I took a bottle of the first thing I could find, a glass and I poured myself a drink, sitting by the warm fire, and I smiled to myself. Living in fine clothing, eating the best, wearing fine clothes is one thing...but this is different. If this is the life that Reaver always lives, I'd love to be able to do it too but...doesn't he always do this alone? I mean, I know that he's coming back so I'm aware that later I'll have company but...he doesn't have anyone that'll come to him unless he's throwing a party and getting half of Albion intoxicated. Yes, now I guess it makes sense. That must've been why he got so angry at me when I questioned him wanting to have lots of men and woman to be intimate with, but I get it now. Reaver in natural life outside of his parties doesn't have anyone that'll go to him just go be his friend, everyone avoids him because of the way he is. Yes, it must be true, Reaver is very lonely. Yet, now that I think of it, him sacrificing to the Shadow Court mustn't be the easiest task for him either as I could imagine. I mean, to get someone to go to the court, he must have to get them to trust him so he can lead them because no-one in their right mind would go anywhere with Reaver just because he said so. So that means when he gets anywhere near to someone he can like, god forbid love, he has to sacrifice them to the Shadow Court because if he doesn't...he'll be murdered. Maybe I have been self-centred and blind to how Reaver is feeling and why he is the way he is.

Standing from the seat I was sitting in, I began to walk out of the bedroom again and into the hall before up the broken stairs again, lifting my gown with one hand and holding my drink in the other and I got into the broken up dining room, smirking at the mess everywhere before getting into the main ballroom. I stood there, standing looking around the huge place, the music that would've played there at some point ringing in my head. I then held my gown again and I began to twist and twirl, as if in dance, humming songs to myself from those few nights I attended parties. I twisted and turned myself before I heard that familiar sound of a can hitting the marble floor, and I stopped with a jump.

"Reaver." I say in almost a panic, extremely embarrassed that he'd just seen me dancing all by myself, and he stood there in the doorway, smirking at me.

"My, you seem comfortable here your majesty. Did you enjoy your little alone time?" He asked as he leant up against the door frame and I was stood up tall.

"Yes." I began slowly. "I enjoyed what you did for me. Thank you." I say making my way over to the tall figure as he smiled at me.

"Don't thank me, your majesty. I've been thinking and I know now that it was so arrogant of me to act so...well...arrogant whilst you were hurt." He said, rubbing the back of his head awkwardly. I smirked at him and shook my head.

"No, it is I who is sorry. I have been so desensitized to what has been happening to you, and I thought things over, and I apologise."

Suddenly taking my chances, I took another step forwards and I embraced him hard, my arms around his waist, and he gasped and shook for a second. It took him a second, but he finally relaxed into it and put a hand on my head and sighed.

"Your majesty?" He asked me, and I looked up to him. Then, he used his other hand to take me by under the chin, he leaned down slightly, and we touched lips softly. It was only for a second but it made my heart sink and my feelings flutter. He then leaned back and smiled.

"How about you stay here for a while? Just you and me? Well, at least until my mansion is restored." He says as he stood back up straight and I stand back from him.

"Yes, I shall arrange for someone else to take my place for now." I say as he clasps his hands together, but he then gave me a serious look, looked as if he was thinking and he then bit his lip.

"Your majesty?" He said to me smoothly.

"Yes?" I asked him, a feeling of curiosity washing over me.

"Do you remember when I visited you all that time ago, telling you that we had some dire things to talk about?" He said to me, looking me right in the eyes.

"Well, yes of course you threatened me I remember." I said, crossing my arms over my body.

"Well, the thing is that... The time has come. I'm going to tell you about who I really am, and then and only then, we can get to the matters at hand." He said, smirking at me suddenly, bowing his head in obvious, deep, deep thought.


	7. Chapter 7 -The Sharpest Shooter

After a little bit of time, he lead me to a drawing room, just like the one in the castle, and he sat down in a leather chair by the fire before beckoning me to sit too, and I did. When we sat he looked at me with a concerned look before crossing his legs over and smirking at me.

"My dear Queen." He began as he clasped his hands together wickedly, looking at me as if he knew something about me that I didn't.

"I wanted to finally tell you who I am." He motioned as he continued to smirk at me, tilting his head and keeping that slyness about him.

"The fact is my Queen is that, I am very old as we all know. Yet how old exactly? Well, about 250 years by now I'd say!" He said chirpily and happily as if it meant nothing to him that he was that old, and I scoffed and leaned forwards.

"You? Over 200 years old? Reaver don't play with me here, I thought you were going to tell me the truth." I said as I stood from the leather seat and went over to a small table with an assortment of alcohol on it and I poured myself a drink, already a little tipsy from earlier on in the evening when he was gone.

"My Queen, would I lie to you?" He asked me as he leant forwards in his seat towards me even more, he smirk becoming much more devilish at the minutes ticked by. I scoffed again, almost dropping the glass I was holding and I turned to him.

"Of course you would. You're the biggest liar in Albion." I said dryly, walking back over to the man and sitting back down onto one of the leather seats, crossing my legs also and holding my glass loosely in my left hand.

"Well it is truth my dearest Queen. I am honestly that old and I haven't aged a day since I was...well never you mind what age I was." He said with a big smile as I rolled my eyes at him.

"Oh come now don't be so dismissive your Majesty! We're living together now, you must be able to believe me!" He said as he unclasped his hands and stood from the chair, walking over to mine slowly as he put his hands on the back of my seat.

"Why should I believe you?" I asked as the memories of all the bad things that he'd done came back to me. "All you are is just another rich man with a big past! It's like that night that I was attacked whilst coming to your mansion, and you claimed to come save me even though you walk no where!" I said loudly, pursing my lips as the alcohol began to make me much less reserved and much more truthful.

"Oh come now, I just sent a servant out for you." He said as he wrapped his arms around my shoulders from behind the chair, and I could hear him purr as he leant in closer.

"So you did lie to me." I say to him bluntly, gripping the drink in my hand harder.

"Oh come now anything to make me more appealing to her Majesty." He stated, nuzzling into my neck more as he almost made me feel sick.

"You didn't have to lie." I said to him as I felt his breath hot on my neck.

"Don't be so blunt. If I didn't lie we wouldn't be here right now." As he said that, I began to feel physically sickened by Reaver again, just like I used to be back in the day before I knew him properly and before he became so apparently nice to me. So, was the kiss he gave me a lie? A ploy to have some company maybe?

"Stop being like this." I say, using one hand to push his arms off me as he made an almost angry sound, probably not used to being rejected.

"Like what?" I could tell from the shortness of his sentence that he was internally infuriated with me, but he didn't dare show it to me.

"So...questionable!" I yell at him, giving him one last shuff and he stumbles back a few steps, and I heard him stutter angrily.

"Questionable? I promise to house you, protect you and tell you who I really am and yet you still find me questionable. How insolent." He said with great expression in his voice, as if letting me know that he really meant business.

"Why don't you take that cane of yours and shuff it up your-"

Suddenly, he drew his gun out and swung it around to me, right in between the eyes and I gasped, dropping the glass I was holding onto the floor, it smashing into many small pieces.

"Now, I don't care if you're the Queen or not, I'll still blow your head right off your shoulders. I don't like being treated like dirt."

As he pointed the gun at me, his eyes just went blank, as if nothing else in the world mattered but him shooting me as I stood from the seat slowly as he kept his gun fixed on my face.

"Now Reaver, don't make any brash decisions without thinking it through." I say to him, raising my hands above my head to say 'Don't shoot' and he laughed.

"Why shouldn't I? I am a sharp shot and well...I haven't put my skills to work in a while." He said bluntly. I thought for a second on what to do as I saw he wouldn't back down. I didn't exactly want to hurt him, but I had no choice but to defend myself. I moved my raised hand suddenly forwards and towards him and a fire ball erupted, throwing him back as a gun shot sounded in the room and I felt a sudden pain as he was thrown hard into the wall behind him. As I fell down to my knees as a pain in my right shoulder erupted.

"You idiotic girl! I never thought you would ever-...huh?" He suddenly sat up from his broken position, and then went to stand, but paused as he saw my hunched over in pain and he frowned to himself as if thinking.

"You-...you-..." I stuttered out as the pain of the gunshot wound hurt me deeply. Why is it hurting so bad? As hero, nothing usually hurts this badly...does he have special bullets or did he know exactly where to pinpoint me?

"Now." He began as he stood, holding his gun again as he seemed wrecked slightly.

"You're going to sit down and listen to me speak, you hear me?" He said in a confident voice, and without a thought, I suddenly sat back down in the seat as he smirked at me.

"See? There's a good girl." He then walked over to his chair from before and sat down it in, placing his gun on his lap and clasping his hands once more.

"Now my Queen, now that you know my age I must tell you that I was a pirate back in the day. Oh, how I miss it sometimes." He said, crossing his legs again, obviously reminiscing as I stayed hunched in pain.

"I was the sharpest shot in all of Albion and I murdered thousands of other pirates, even from great lengths." He said pompously, waving his hand as a sign of his extravagance for the story.

"And well, that's where you come in. Now I'm wanting to plan an excavation to find some...well, jewels from back in my day. I don't like throwing away money and I need an armada, do you understand?" He said, and I cast him a glare.

"So this whole time, this whole act of you caring, this whole time of me protecting you...you used me so you could just get ships and men from me? You used me to stay alive until I gave you sacrifices? You gained my trust so you could shoot me and force me into this?!" I yell at him as he gives me another big, hearty laugh, and then he stares right at me.

"My Queen, I would be lying if I said that I didn't use you. There, is that what you wanted to hear."

I gritted my teeth.

"I'll have your head for this." I say as I put pressure against my bleeding wound.

"And I'll spread the rumor that you've been messing around with the most arrogant and sleazy man in the whole of Albion." He said as he smiled. He was threatening to ruin my reputation, and it could work. He could actually turn everyone against me easily.

"You wouldn't." I say.

"Oh, my Queen, if I can have the nature to shoot you then spreading a rumor would be as common as the smokey sky!" He said as he cocked his gun back again, as if ready to shoot me again.

"Do we have a deal?" I say as I look headlong into his level 5 gun, it glowing blue right in my face.

"Go on then." I begin. "Kill me and then see what happens." I shout at him as he laughs...again.

"Oh I don't want to kill you, I just want you to obey me, I'll just shoot you somewhere painful again." He says as he then points his gun at my other shoulder, and I stare at him.

"Do it." I say as I grit my teeth. He then shrugs his shoulders, as if to say 'Suit yourself', and he shoots at me again, the bullet impacting my shoulder and throwing my back off the chair and onto the floor, a whole new pain consuming me. He then stood from his chair and walked over to me, still pointing his gun, a crazed look in his eye.

"Now, are you going to be a good girl or do I have to shoot you again?" He said, loading his gun again.

"I...accept." I choke out in fear that he'll shoot me again.

"Theres a good lass." He then put his gun back in his leg holster and kneeled to me.

"I expect that armada by next week..Oh, and if you tell anyone about this, I'll tell everyone about you being oh so deeply in love with me." And with that, he stood and walked away from me, going for the door leaving me lying on the floor, bleeding and crying.


	8. Chapter 8 - The Pirate's Armada

Hours must've passed and I spent them on the floor of that room, managing to stop the bleeding by ripping sections from my gown and wrapping them around my wounds, crying out as I did so, the bullets thankfully making a full cut through my body. Somehow, it's beyond me how, but I managed to stand as my shoulders felt sore and stiff from the gunshots, his level five gun really blasted me hard. When I went to find him to confront him, he was nowhere to be found, but maybe thankfully. I can say all I like that I'm ready to face him, but the fact is that I was literally just shot a few hours ago...twice. Using all the concentration I could, I somehow actually managed to teleport myself to the sanctuary, almost fainting as I managed to do so.

"Ah, hello my-...your majesty?" I heard in Jaspers voice as he stood in his usual place in the sanctuary, and I fell to my knees wearily as he ran over, my dog that was asleep there waking up and bounding over to me, letting out a whine as he saw my pain.

"What's happened? Why is there so much blood?" Jasper asked me quickly and direly, shaking me and trying to keep me awake. I must've lost so much blood, I can feel my world slipping away from me, I think that I'm dying. Then, just as my dog Elliot tapped me with his paw, a bright white light blinded me.

"You're not to die today, Hero." A familiar voice called out to me in its soft usual tone and I somehow managed to open my eyes as I saw my mentor, Theresa, in front of me.

"Reaver has harmed you badly, and you are on a bad verge of death, but you cannot die yet. Use your map and get yourself to a gypsy camp, they'll know how to heal you. Yet, get yourself back into Reaver's mansion before he returns or he'll bring you more harm. Good luck, hero."

It was abrupt, but when I blinked, I was back in the sanctuary with Jasper leaning over me, looking really frantic.

"Jasper? Elliot?" I asked looking at him and looking at my beloved dog before trying to push myself up off the floor. Jasper made an odd noise, as if to reject to my movement, but he moved back and I dragged myself over to the map and my dog let out a worried whine, sniffing the blood on the floor. I pulled myself up a little so I was hanging over the table with the map, breathing heavily as could be before bringing my hand over.

"Tell no-one this has happened." I say in a low monotone as I look over my shoulder to him and my dog, and Jasper nods, obviously understanding that I was in a dire situation and my dog whined again

"Yes, my lady." I heard Jasper say just as I slumped over onto the table and somehow managed to properly touch the Gypsy camp, and I was teleported. When I arrived, I was lying on my back slap bang in the middle of the small camp, and maybe about 4 healers approached me quickly. I was quickly taken into a tent, given 2 health potions and then bandaged up. I felt much better, but now just mentally weak and I managed to get back to the sanctuary again. Jasper stood there silently as I arrived and gave me a nod as my dog lay asleep before I went back over to the map table and let my hand hover over Reaver's mansion.

"Jasper, I need you to tell my men to do something." I said to him, peering over my shoulder to the man and he nodded as if to say 'Go on'.

"I need an armada made up and I need a crew...and I need it under Master Reavers name. I know it sounds odd but please make sure this is done by the end of the day."

Jasper looked astounded at what I had said, and looked like he was almost going to say something, but he stopped himself and frowned before nodding his head slowly, accepting what I was saying. As he did so, I tapped on Reaver's mansion and was quickly fast tracked.

When I opened my eyes again, I was in a random room of the mansion and I sighed. I couldn't believe in a way what I had done, pretty much sold off my navy to Reaver.

"Oh my she's up and about! Now that would've been a shame if you _died_ hm?"

That godforsaken voice.

"Oh and look at that, you patched yourself up, what a smart lass you are. Oh and look at that! Not even a spec of blood on the carpet, you _clever_ girl."

I slowly turned to see him standing there, leaning on his cane with a smirk of pure arrogance and I frowned to myself before looking him right in the eyes.

"Your armada has been called for and it'll be finished by sun down." I said blankly to him as his smirk began to widen into a big smile.

"Oh what a good girl you are." He said as he leaned off his cane and used it to prod me slightly, and I gritted my teeth. Oh, what I'd do to have a gun right now. I should've picked one up at the sanctuary whilst I was there and I can't just teleport right in front of him and I would dare try to punch him, he's way too fast of a shot for that. I'm just going to have to grit my teeth for now.

"It's late, can't I sleep?" I asked him meaningfully, genuinely tired after such an eventful day and he scoffed before he gave a brief laugh.

"Sleep? Why my Queen it's a Friday night and my weekend party shall go on as usual!" He exclaimed to me, giving me another firm prod with his cane, but this time right in my ribs. He was testing me, but I wouldn't let him break me.

"Then let me have a room." I say to him as I stand straight as he begins to slouch on his cane again.

"Why yes of course a room has already been made up for you, but you must attend this party." He says as he smirks again.

"Why must I?" I ask him in genuine confusion.

"Because you are the guest of honor." He said giving me one final prod with his cane, hard enough to make me stumble back a few steps, and I grit my teeth again.

"Oh you didn't..." I say as I stare at him.

"Oh but I did! The whole of Albion knows that you are going to be here. Don't you want to please your subjects?" He asks me, obviously doing this to get to me.

"Alright, I'll attend. Now where is my room." I say to him, just trying to get the conversation over and done with.

"Upstairs to the right, across from mine." He almost purred at me, making me want to genuinely throw up right in front of him and I quickly passed him by and ran out of the room, into the hall, into the foyer, up the stairs, to the right and into a room. The room was half decent I guess, it wasn't terrible but it was obviously not as grand as the rest of Reaver's house, like a guest room...a guest room for a peasant...a poor peasant at that. I sighed as I stared around at it, but was happy that I was away from that man. I went over to a smashed mirror in the corner and sighed as I looked into it, my face drained as could be.

I then looked over to the bed...well...blankets on the floor and also sighed. This wasn't quite like the warm fires, large beds and alcohol from before, this was just like how he'd treat any random peasant.


	9. Chapter 9 - The Guest Of Honour

Night-time fell extremely quickly over Millfield, and I had spent my time just sitting on the windowsill of the poor room, sighing to myself again and again. Why did Reaver have to be so cruel to me? Maybe if he'd sat me down and got me drunk enough I could've half accepted to his armada in a tame way, he didn't have to go and almost murder me. Yet, what did I expect? Did I honestly believe that Reaver had changed?

Just then, I heard quite a brisk heavy knock on my door, and I looked over towards it.

"Miss, uh, Queen?" I heard in the voice of what seemed to be a maid and I stood off the windowsill.

"Yes?" I shouted to the door as I gave myself another look in the mirror, sighing at my worn look.

"The party has begun, ma'am. The master requests your appearance." The female voice called out to me and I frowned deeply to myself, of course I didn't want to attend to his party, but maybe it could give me a chance to get back at him.

"Tell him to wait, that I'll be down later." I call out to the maid just before I hear her scurrying off, as if called on by someone.

Then, I stared at myself in the mirror. I wasn't going to go like this, but I think I have an idea. I quickly teleported myself to the sanctuary and I went to the dressing room, jasper walking after me with a smirk. I then went over to a statue that had my royal wear on it. I'd only ever worn it on the day of my coronation, and I hadn't worn it since, so maybe it could be a nice thing to wear. I slipped the gown on, the blue and gold shining out as I placed my crown on my head happily, then I applied makeup to make my broken look disappear, and I actually looked good for once, happy almost. Then I remembered what I was dressing up for, one of Reaver's parties. I quickly teleported back to my room, gave myself one last look in the mirror, and went out of the room as the sound of music blared. As I made my way down the hall and down the staircase the whole room was filled with people dressed grandly, some even in costumes. I found this settling as maybe I could blend into the grand crowd. Drinks were held on trays by maids in short skirts and I was handed one, and I thanked the girl as I took a drink. It was alcohol, and it was extremely strong, it actually made me twitch harshly, but it didn't taste bad. The music got louder all of a sudden, into almost the music I would hear at the gypsy camps when young and a circle was formed on the dance floor, everyone dancing and twirling in a circle, perfectly in sync with each other, making me laugh out at the perfect sync of everyone. As I looked around, I couldn't seem to see Reaver at all through the crowd, and I almost smiled in relief until I saw him. He was up on a high balcony with woman all around him, all attempting to touch him at once as he looked over the dancers as I made my way through to watch better. I've always enjoyed watching dancing, it reminds me of the nights in the camps when we held celebrations for one reason or another and everyone would dance. Suddenly, my hand was grasped and I was pulled into the dance circle by a random man in a red suit and I was pulled into him and pulled around the dance circle, and it made me laugh as the violin music kept its pace. The dance we were all doing was called the 'Balverine Turn'. It was made by mercenary's hundreds of years ago in honour of the huge creature, and it's a fast enough dance. I was passed from partner to partner, man to man as I laughed out happily. This was a much better experience than last time, this was just a genuine party. Then, all of a sudden, I was taken by the waist and pulled into a large figure. I was going to laugh out again at the forward gesture, until I looked up and noticed that it was Reaver holding onto me, dancing with me.

"I must say you do look lovely in that dress." He said to me as we twisted and turned, and I sighed out just as the music came to a halt as we were in the middle of the ball room.

"Ladies and gentlemen, I present to you our guest of honour, the Queen of Albion!" He then used obviously a lot of strength, took my waist and lifted me up above his head so everyone could see, and I gasped shocked as all the party guests bowed over to me and I gritted my teeth as I was being held up off my feet by the man in white.

"Reaver let me down." I said as I kept my teeth gritted, trying my hardest not to make a big struggle in front of my subject and I heard him chuckle a bit.

"If you struggle, I'll tell everyone about you and me." He whispered to me, gripping my sides a bit more.

"Unhand me." I grunt to him and he finally does, pretty much dropping me onto the floor before drawing his cane and leaning on it as the music begins again. I lay on the floor and frowned, he was really testing me. I have to be somewhat nice to him; if I don't...he'll ruin my reputation.

"Bastard." I say to myself as I stand from the floor, rubbing the back of my neck slowly as some people stared at me confused as he had literally just dropped my a good metre onto the marble floor of the ball room and I smiled to my subjects as if to say 'It's alright' and they gave me a nod and went back to speaking and dancing.

I then went back over to the staircase that was now pretty empty and I sat myself down on it as I looked out. I saw Reaver standing on the edge of the ballroom, just a bit away from me, still surrounded by lots of woman. He was obviously walking about himself, you could tell by the way all the woman practically fell to his feet. What's so charming about him anyway? I might've had some feelings for him at some point, but now I'm just confused to how anyone could even remotely like such a cynical person. God, I wish I had never let him into the palace in the first place. I wish I had stuck to my morals and kept someone like him out of my life.

"Oh my dearest Queen?" I heard him saying in that insufferable accent, calling out my way and I turned my head to him as the woman stayed crowded around him.

"Come join me over here, my guest of honour." He said to me with a twinge of pride in his voice, knowing for a fact that he was ordering the literal Queen of Albion around. As he said it, I made no rejection and I stood up from the staircase and I went over to him. As I approached him, he suddenly grabbed me again and pulled me in towards him as the woman whispered to each other.

"Let me go, Reaver." I whispered to him harshly as he held onto me with a tight grip and he gave a quiet laugh.

"Oh come now, don't you want to join me and all these ladies in paradise?" He said aloud as all the woman laughed together.

 _Sick pervert._

"Get off me." I say to him one last as I use my strength to push him off, all the woman gasping as he stumbled back, all of them flocking him asking him if he's alright and such as he glared at me, but gave me a smirk.

"Oh you are a _bad girl_." He said as he looked at me with the odd look, obviously trying to get to me, but it just made me feel awkward and uncomfortable, pet names making me feel sick.

"I'll **never** do anything for you again." I said under my breath as I turned to walk away, just as he grasped my arm.

"Oh you really think you can walk away now? After you break my heart?" He said dramatically, putting a hand to his heart to show his fake form of hurting, and I made a 'tsk' noise, shaking his arm off of me.

"Stop touching me." I said, swatting his hand away, going back to the staircase, walking up the stairs.

"I'm going to get you for this, my pet." He called out after me and I gritted my teeth, keeping my back turned to him, going away upstairs and into the large hallway.

 _What an insufferable man._

As I got to the door of my room, I went for the door handle and I sighed out loudly. Did I really want to enter a room like that? A stable was better than this. Standing away from the door handle, I sighed and turned from the door walking away down the hallway to the end door, which just so happened to have light shining through from underneath with big words saying 'Do not enter'. I became entranced and couldn't help myself, and I opened the door, and walked in.

As I entered, I came across a large room filled with seemingly random things until I noticed a cutlass at the back of the room. It was in a case and was tilted as 'nipper'. I'm guessing this was a favorite sword of Reaver's, maybe in his pirate days. There were many different things as well as the sword, there was paintings, ship models and different type of clothes. As I looked around I began to touch on the objects, feeling an energy from them as if they were very heavily used back in the day.

Just as I went to touch another object, I heard the door slamming open and it then shutting, and I quickly turned to see a maid standing there. Thank God.

"I'm sorry Ma'am, I didn't mean to frighten you!" Sh exclaimed to me, bowing over to me slowly and I let out a breath of relief.

"It's okay. What are you doing in here?" I asked her, a bit intruding to be fair, but I was curious none the less.

"Oh I came to fetch some new clothes for the Master." She said giving me a bow, going over to the clothes rack, taking out a red cape, waist coat and white cravat.

"When did he wear that?" I asked with a slight laugh, the style of clothes definitely dated.

"Over 50 years ago." She said and I smirked to myself, maybe he was telling the truth, maybe he really is that old.

The maid then scurried out of the room quickly, holding the clothes over her arm as she left and she left the door open for me, almost in a way to say 'You'd had better come out of there', and I did.

As I left the room I went back down the hall and into my bedroom, shutting the door and going back to the windowsill.

I hate this new life that I am living, it's Hell. I'm a Queen who can't even run her country, how disgusting of me.

"Ah my little pet, come here, won't you?"

My heart almost stopped as I heard Reaver's voice, but then I realized that it was outside my bedroom and that he hadn't walked in on me thinking. He must've been seducing someone in the hallway.

"Master, stop it!" I heard in the maids voice from before, and I gasped. Really? His own workers too?

"Oh shut up and come with me."

Then, the sound of a door slamming sounded.

Odd, I wonder why he chose the maid and not his party guests. How intriguing.

Daytime arose the next day quickly enough and I was awoken to a knock on the door, another maids voice that I hadn't heard before calling out to me.

"My lady the Master requests you as usual." The maid said before I heard her walk away from the door, and I immediately got up, out of my room and down the main stairs to see him at the bottom.

"Oh hello your majesty! My armada awaits! We're leaving for the sea today!" He exclaimed out as I gasped. So, he wasn't at all joking, we're really going to go...pirate. He was dressed oddly although, he was in those old fashioned pirate clothes that maid had picked up yesterday. I wasn't ready for this, but I knew I had no choice.


	10. Chapter 10 -Bloodstone

I was swiftly dragged out of the house by some of Reaver's Industries workers and I was practically thrown into a carriage by the house and the door was slammed and I sat up on one of the leather chairs. As I sat, the carriage began to be immediately pulled by what I'd assume to be horses (although I wouldn't score out the idea of Balverines) and the carriage was beginning to pull out of the mansion into the Millfield streets. As the carriage moved, I noticed a small bad nearby the other chair, and in pure curiosity, I reached over to it and I picked it up onto my lap. It was a small-ish brown bag with black patches sewn onto it, as if it had been ripped before. Slowly, I opened it up to find a small letter on top of some things, and I took the letter into my hands.

 _'My dearest Majesty,_

 _I have left this bag for you filled with random clothes and such so you may be more comfortable on our voyage. You may wonder why the bag is so small, but that is because you shall be dressed as one of my servants on this voyage as I cannot even risk my fellow men finding out you're the Queen because then I'd have to kill them all and we'd have no crew, now would we? Now the voyage we shall be going on shall begin in Bloodstone harbor because that is where my favorite ship is located and_ _then we shall be going out on the open seas to find...well, jewels shall I say. Anyway, you had better_ _get changed. Just pull over those small see-through curtains on the windows and you can get all ready to be my servant!_

 _Your obedient and loving friend,_

 _Reaver.'_

I sighed at the letter he had left for me, it made me feel rather sick inside. He wanted me to pretend to be his servant so none of his fellow pirates would give him bother? How insufferable.

I did exactly what the letter said and I pulled over the small, and as the letter said most definitely see-through, curtains over the small windows on the carriage doors before I began to pull out things from the inside of the bag. What I pulled out didn't surprise me in the slightest part. All it was was a black corset, a ripped deep red skirt that went to most likely just above my knee and a seemingly skin tight deep red shirt that went the full length of my arms with a red collar with gold accents and the huge Reaver Industry symbol on the back of the shirt. Slipping it onto my body, putting my noble clothes into the bag and putting back by the other chair, I kept my crown in my hand. I couldn't just leave this anywhere, but I didn't have much choice. I sat it down on the other chair just in front of me and I sighed as I drew open the small curtains again, the sunlight flooding in once more and shining off my crown, gold light reflecting all around the inside of the carriage. Feeling rather fatigued and internally hurt about the whole situation, I decided to lay down on the chair, pulling my legs up onto the seat as my new uniform scratched my skin. Slowly and steadily, I shut my eyes as the sunlight felt hot on my body, and I drifted off to sleep soundly, tired as could be.

When I had re-awoken, I batted open my eyes and noticed that it was dark outside of the carriage and that moonlight was bright. I stretched hard as my back was steady on the chair, the carriage jumpy as we were seemingly on rocky terrain, no longer in the industrial world and in the more natural world, on our way to the older parts of Albion, the parts that my mother would've explored. Slowly I sat up in the chair and I looked out the small window, another carriage at my carriages side. The windows of it was open, and I saw Reaver inside, seemingly asleep. His red cape and white cravat was pff and his head was rested against the side of the carriage wall, his hair all messy and misplaced. His eyes were lightly resting and his chest was rising and falling steadily as he slept. As I watched, I felt something inside of me flutter, and I couldn't quite say why. When you see Reaver in a more natural not so pompous state, you would never think that he is as evil as he is, as hurtful...as deceitful. Reaver is literally two sides of the same coin, but in the same body. Even although he admitted to lying about the way he was acting towards me, I think that in a way it proved that Reaver can indeed actually feel, well, feelings. It means that he does indeed know how it works, even if it was just a way to get around me and to get me to do things for him. Yet, it also proves that he is the master of reverse psychology. He would be angry at me and reject me, such as the time we danced in his room and he was going to 'confess his love', but as soon as I said anything against it, he became angry with me and sent me away, but only in a way to leave me wanting to apologize, thus, to see him again. He was building up this fake version of himself that I would trust, so that at the very least proves that Reaver is a very smart individual.

I moved away from my window again and I sat back in my seat, cold seeping in through the obviously badly fitted doors, I lay back down and decided to try to sleep once more.

As I awoke once again, I noticed that it must've been about mid-day, and I sat up in my seat slowly, looking out the window to find Reaver's carriage to no longer be at my side. Focusing on the outside world, I saw that we were about to enter a town from over a hill, making a harsh turn around a mountain corner to show me the full view of the water side town, and I decided that this place must be the Bloodstone that Reaver spoke of in his letter. I'd heard about it a few times before from some people, and I heard it to be a lawless town full of drunks and prostitutes, modern day Albion leaving it off the map as it's a ruthless place...the perfect place for Reaver if I do say so myself.

As we pulled into the town, everyone began to pay attention to the carriage as it pulled in, everyone leaning into each other as if whispering as the carriage took a swift turn up streets and towards the top of the town until it came to an abrupt halt. The door to my right was suddenly swung open and I was dragged out by a large man and thrown into a crowd of obvious slaves as lots of different things were thrown at us, and the servants scrambled to pick them up and I did the same, myself picking up clothes it seemed and we were all shouted at to go to the mansion on the hill, and we all began to walk. No-one at all recognized me, I just fit into the band of slaves. As we all walked, the big men kept close to us, obviously making sure none of us ran away or fell or anything and we slowly made our way towards the big mansion on the hill. As we approached it quickly as the door was opened by maids inside and we all went inside, some servants going in different directions from each other, obviously used to this mansion. I thought as I was holding clothes that it was probably appropriate to go upstairs since I'm guessing clothes would be stored in bedrooms, and I made my way up the stairs with the silent servants. As we reached the top I made my way through the halls and to a door, knocking on it first to check for inhabitants, which there seemed not to be, and I opened the door slowly to find a deep red bedroom. This definitely belonged to Reaver. I went over to a large dresser and I opened the drawer, placing the clothes inside of it and stepping away from it thinking as I shut the drawer back closed.

 _Why exactly am I doing this? Oh yes, not to any of Reaver's people freak out at the thought of him using the Queen._

Suddenly, I heard the door of the room be opened, and I turned around to see a very frazzled Reaver at the door, leaning against the door frame as obvious compensation for the cane he was no longer carrying.

"Oh my well I've never seen anyone look so ravishing in my company's uniform before." He said in a sarcastic way to me and I bowed my head over, deciding to keep quiet.

"Oh? You actually put away my things? You _are_ a good girl." He said in a very amused tone, leaning off the door frame and beginning to make my way over to me as I stayed by the dresser in the red room.

"Now if you're wondering we are here for now because after such an uncomfortable time in that blasted carriage I thought I must rest for a while, a week perhaps before we actually begin to set sail on the miserable sea!" He said happily as he stopped just in front of me, me keeping my head bowed over, choosing not to look him in the eyes.

"Now, I shall have you sleeping in a room just by mine but you had better keep quiet about it.I don't want any of these people to know about you being royalty or they might tell those pitiful pirates." He said in his usual pompous tone, smirking at me as usual as I began to grit my teeth, getting 'done' with his trials and tribulations.

"Now we're going to have a lovely week and you're going to play nice for me." He said, then using his hand to prop my face up to look at him, and I cast him a glare of a thousand daggers and I actually felt his hand quiver for a second, me probably giving him a proper fright.

"Now if you're going to be cold you can go to the basement and begin to prepare for tonight's dinner, you hear me? Go on, shoo! Chop chop!" Suddenly, he gave me a firm shuff, an obvious signal for me to exit the large and extravagant room, and I did exactly what he obviously wanted, leaving the room and beginning to walk down the hall, not even saying one word to him.

As I went down the hall, several servants seemed to be going in the same direction as me and we all found ourselves going down to the basement of the huge manor. As I arrived down, preparations were already in place for the dinner service and there was huge amounts of food being made up, almost to an obnoxious extent. Curious as ever, I leaned into one of the servants.

"Reaver...I mean, the Master is rather thin, he doesn't eat _all_ of this, does he?" I asked the servant to my right and they shook their head.

"Nah, it's one of his parties again. It's for him returning here to Bloodstone. The whole town will show up, so, you better get to work." They said back to me in a casual and yet firm way, and I nodded my head to them as I went over to a corner of the room which had a large table full of dough on it. As there wasn't many people at the station, I went over and began to kneed and fold the dough, accustom to doing it from the times I was low on money, beginning to shape the bread into pie shapes. After a while, my forearms and elbows began to feel sore, but, what of the other workers? They're all very skinny people, and I'm muscular so...if I'm only a little sore now, how much pain must they be in from all this work? When this is over, all these servants shall work for me in a kind fair environment, I can't let them go on like this...but for now I have to hold my tongue about it. Hours passed and so much food was made that it wasn't even funny, the maids running up and down the stairs carrying the food as fast as they could as if Reaver had been shouting at them about it, and soon enough, all of us tired as could be, music began to play upstairs. Most of the servants just sat at their stations, heaving in and out, the work very strenuous for them. I on the other hand sat up on a barrel near the large fire at the back of the room, trying to keep warm as the door of the basement was kept open. Soon, I began to let the music fade out and I began to tap into some of the conversations the servants were having, and they were very depressing to listen to indeed. They spoke of their lives before they came under Reaver's firm control, talking of an easier time where they weren't so skinny and worn out. They spoke of how they weren't paid, but were kept as prisoners by Reaver and if they didn't work hard they'd be murdered. As I listened, tears were brought to my eyes as the sadness that these people had gone through was apparent. When I'm away from this, I'll get rid of that decree that protects Reaver and I will have him executed for his sins.

"Hey, you." I suddenly heard and I lifted my head to see one of the maids standing at the door, looking me right in the eye. I gave them a nod as if to say 'Go on'.

"The Master wants you to clean his bedroom for his guests." The girl said in an odd tone, as if to say 'He's at it again' and I nodded once more and jumped from my barrel by the fire, bid farewell to the servants for now and I walked up the stairs, the music of the party becoming loud. He was playing gypsy music again, and it entranced me for a minute so I went over to one of the doors which seemed to lead to the main ballroom and I opened it a little to see the party revealed. It was huge and grand and everyone was dancing and drinking, which made me smile. It was as grand as I knew it would be, a part of me oh so longing to be able to join in on the festivities. Yet, just them a lady turned to the door and scoffed.

"Servant girl?" She said in a tone of disgust as everyone looked casually over their shoulders as if I wasn't worth their time to look at, and suddenly, I heard a shout.

"If that's a servant over there I'll have you shot if you don't scram!" I heard in Reaver's undoubted accent, and I quickly slammed the door over, putting my back to it harshly.

It was so strange having people treat me like dirt, like I was below them. I had no idea this is how servants feel.

I then decided to do as I was told and I began to make my way down the hall before up the stairs of the mansion, making my way to Reaver's bedroom. As I entered it it was mostly all in place but for the bed sheets being misplaced and I slowly went over to them and beginning to un-ruffled them and make them look good as new, as if they'd never been touched by anyone just as I heard a sound at the door, and I turned around quickly in fear of Reaver entering, but it wasn't him, but that maid from that time before, the one who had fetched his clothes.

"Oh goodness, I thought you were Rea-...I mean the Master." I said to the girl who gave me a weak smile as she carried a bottle of what seemed to be wine in one hand and glasses in another.

"Sorry to scare you, we all get a bit startled at times." She said to me as she made her way into the room, going over to the other side of the bed and beginning to set down the glasses on a bed side table gently.

"What are those for?" I asked her calmly.

"Well the Master usually has guests in his room after parties shall I say, I just know to make preparations." She said, giving me a smile. Then, something occurred to me, this was the same maid I had heard Reaver trying to seduce in the hallway.

"So, have you ever been one of Reaver's 'guests'?" I asked her with a curious smile, and she smirked to herself.

"Yes, I have actually. He said that the only reason he chooses me sometimes is because I look like the Queen of Albion, isn't that odd?" She said to me, making my heart sink deep down in my chest.

"Oh, how odd indeed." I reply to her as I begin to feel a bit strange inside, almost as if someone had punched me.

"So, uh, what's your name?" I asked the girl, and she gave me a look as if to say 'You really want to know?' and I gave her a reassuring nod.

"My names Emily." She said to me as she finished setting the glasses and she put the bottle down on the bedside table, standing back up straight and giving me a weak smile once more before walking over to me.

"And your is?" She asked me, and I didn't quite know what to say.

"That doesn't matter." I said to her to avoid having to give my identity away, and she seemed confused and yet understood that I didn't want her to ask, and she nodded.

"Anyway, the Master will be bringing his guests up soon, we had better go." She said, giving me a light pat on the shoulder and walking for the door as I did the same. As we got to the hallway she turned to me.

"Now I'm going to have to get back to the party for now, we'll meet again?" She asked, and I nodded my head to her, making her smile.

"Goodbye, Emily." I said to her as she turned and walked down the hall and down the stairs, away from me.

I thought for a minute before going to the room across the hall which was obviously for me and I walked in to find another below average room and I sighed once more as I shut the door to it, the music from downstairs still blaring. Then, I noticed a balcony and I went over to it, leaning out on the bar of it letting the night air hit my face lightly. Then, it hit me. I could escape! Taking a chance I decided to vault the high balcony and I plummeted to the streets below harshly, me being a hero feeling no pain, and I began to run down the street. This was my escape! This was my chance to get away...but...then I stopped in my tracks and turned to the mansion as the music echoed in the dark night-time. If I leave now, I know for a fact those servants will be murdered just because he's angry, even that girl Emily. He might still have time to ruin my reputation but I don't care about that anymore...I want to save those people now, even if it is the last thing I do. My freedom will come another day, but for now I must hold my tongue and protect those people from death.

Slowly, and as depressed as ever, I slowly turned and began to make my way back towards the huge mansion, tears flowing down my face as I did so. I was giving myself to him now, I was submitting to his rule. Yet, if it's for them, I can't let anything get in my way.

Not sure how exactly to get back in I took my chance and decided to climb the wall that lead up to my balcony, and I somehow managed to do so. As I reached the balcony, I scrambled over the top of it, falling harshly onto it, safe back in my room just as I heard the smack of a cane on the floor.

"I house you, give you new clothes, blackmail you and you still try to run from me? I'm hurt." I heard in Reaver's voice, and as I raised my head, I saw him standing in my doorway, frowning at me and I shuddered. I didn't like the thought of him in any bedroom of mine.

"Go away, Reaver." I say aloud to him, not really meaning to but saying it anyway as I got to my feet and leaned back against the balcony's bar as I heard another smack of a cane.

 _He's only doing that because he's happy to have his cane back._

"My dear you will find that this is my home and that I need to go no-where, I could have you sleeping in the basement with all the other filth of this mansion."

"Don't call them filth! How dare you say that about Emily and the others?!" I shout at the man in red as he gives me a confused look.

"Who's Emily?" He asks me innocently, giving me a smirk as if he thought I was imagining things.

"The maid you took advantage of!" I shout at him, dying to smack him.

"Oh so you're naming them now? How lovely of you! Next, you'll be giving them personalities!" He said with a smirk as I gripped the bar I was hanging onto.

"Your slaves are people too!" I shout at him as he gives a laugh.

"Oh stop this bickering! We could get all this anger out in a more fun way with my guests!" He said using his arms to give a flare to his statement, and I almost threw up.

"You're a sick pervert, Reaver. Go sleep with some prostitutes."

"Now that you say that, I just might. That does sound mighty fun!"

"You make me sick."

"Then don't deep-throat that far then!"

As he said that vile remark, I stood away from the bar, went over to him and punched him square in the face, knocking him back out of the room and into the hallway.

"My face!" He yelled as he hit the back wall and I scoffed.

"You say something like that to me again Reaver then you'll have more than your face to worry about!" I shout at him as blood covers his face and he scowls to me.

"You'll pay for that you little minx." He said as he shakily stood from the floor, keeping a hand to his face to cover the blood and damage.

"You're holding me as prisoner. There isn't much else you can do." I say to him as I stamp away from his view and he makes his way back to me.

"Fine then! You have to be my personal maid from now on!" He said to me in an angry tone, and I turned to him.

"So what if I don't?"

"I'll kill that girl Emily."

My heart sank. No way I could let that girl die, but, as his personal maid...he could take advantage of me...I can't deny this.

"Alright." I say as I stamp back to the balcony as I hear him chuckle evilly.

"Oh you are a curious girl. You'll find your new uniform from one of the current maids, I'm sure they won't mind switching. Now, get some sleep and get ready to become my little personal girl, won't you? Tatty-bye!" And with that, he left the room and slammed the door over, and I fell to my knees, defeated.

By sunrise, I was going to be Reaver's new personal maid. He could use me all he wanted, but it's just til after this voyage is over, right? Anything to save his workers, anything to protect my reputation, anything to protect my kingdom. Even if that means submitting to the most evil hero in Albion history.


	11. Chapter 11 - The Beating

It didn't feel like long, but soon enough the sun began to rise over the sea of Bloodstone, the shops of the town beginning to open and the people began to go outside and I sighed as I watched over the slowly moving town. This was the day that I had to become practically property of Reaver, and I wasn't ready at all, I hadn't even gone to a maid to fetch the uniform from them. Deciding that it was probably the best thing to do, I left my room quietly, my head still hurting from the sound of Reaver amusing his guests the night before and I made my way down the hall just to almost accidentally fall into Emily who had a silver tray in hand, looking slightly tired.

"Emily!" I say aloud as I almost walked into the girl, and she looked as if she got a bit of a fright from me just appearing into the hallway.

"Oh, uh, sorry about that I'm just not used to seeing many people awake at this time upstairs." She said, holding her chest for a second with her free hand as if seeing me had made her heart thump hard. Damn, no-one is supposed to know about me living upstairs.

"I was just going to...uh, fetch my new uniform." I said to her as a cover up and yet as the truth and she gave me a weak smile.

"Oh? You've been promoted to be a maid? Such a 'privilege'." She said sarcastically, taking her hand from her chest and using it to hold the silver tray again and I studied her in her black and white stereotypical maid outfit.

"Well, there isn't any outfits free that's the problem." Emily said as she gave me a confused look, her brown hair laying over her shoulders gently, and I thought for a second. Maybe in a way to save Emily, I could switch places with her. Of course I don't want her to be in the basement all the time, but maybe it'll be better for Reaver not to use her as she does for she didn't exactly sound too thrilled about the whole ordeal.

"Hey Emily, how about we switch places then?" I asked her as she gave me a surprised look.

"Really? Me and you switch? Well..." She paused for a second before smiling at me again. "Aright. Let's switch." She said, handing me her tray steadily giving me a reassuring nod.

We both then changed our clothes in the hallway as we knew no servants would come up and that Reaver would probably still be in bed til the PM hours, so we changed right then and there. She put on the red, black and gold Reaver's industries uniform as I put on the black and white maid uniform, it feeling much more comfortable as I let my hair down over my shoulders as Emily smiled to me.

"Now, I'm going to go back down to the basement, y'know, to fit in. As for you, go into the Masters room and just pick up all the bottles and glasses from the floor, he just doesn't like them there in the morning. Oh and, be prepared to see a lot of skin." She said to me before giving me a pat on the shoulder and then turning and going down the stairs.

I held the tray close to my body, thankful that Emily had so kindly decided to switch with me, and I slowly began to make my way towards Reaver's bedroom. I gave it a light knock to begin with, but I heard no reply so I simply walked into it and what I say slightly disgusted me. There was bodies everywhere, and everyone was naked in the room. Thank God that Reaver was underneath the covers of his bed, I would've died throwing up if I had seen him naked. God, what a vile thought.

I did what Emily had said to do and I went over to all the glasses and bottles and began to place them all onto the tray, making the floor safer for Reaver's probably still intoxicated guests and I sighed. Once upon a time, I would've loved to be one of his 'guests' but not the thought of it disgusts me completely.

As I finished picking up the bottles, I heard a stir from the bed and I looked over my shoulder to see a very drozy Reaver prop his head up.

"Is that you my sweet little 'Femme de ménage'?" I heard Reaver say in a sleepy voice as his eyes weren't even open as the bodies of his guests pretty much pinned him down. Thinking slowly, I decided to play a little game with him as he was pinned down.

"Yes, it's me Master." I say to him as I imitate Emily's sweet tone, and I see a smirk appear on his face.

"Oh do come here, won't you?" He said opening his eyes and blinking furiously as if he was having blurry vision, probably due to the alcohol from the night before and I smirked at this.

"Why don't _you_ come here?" I say in the most seductive tone I could muster, failing at little, but then using my hands to lift the skirt to show my thigh and he rubbed his eyes furiously.

"Your...Majesty?" He asked me, all of a sudden realizing who I was and beginning to struggle, but the others in his bed obstructing him from moving. I gave a hearty laugh as his struggle before I picked the tray back up in my hands properly and running out of the room, holding the tray steady as I heard a very angry Reaver yell after me, laughing as I went down to the basement still laughing as all of the servants were already awake and were making food and such, Emily sweeping by the fire. I quickly put my tray down on a table before running over to Emily and telling her about what I had just done to him, excluding the part where Reaver realized I was the Queen of course and she laughed with me telling me how foolish it was of me but how funny it was to see him struggle but how fuming he would be at me when he next saw me. I knew she was right that I'd pay for what I did but it was worth it for that time.

Just then, I heard a little bell being tolled and I knew that was a signal that Reaver wanted my assistance, so I bid Emily farewell and I went upstairs to the room where he was. As I was just about to enter as I was suddenly pulled into the room as the door was ripped open and I was slammed up against a back wall, my arms held by my side.

"How dare you! You little minx!" Reaver said to me, smacking me up against a wall harshly, my head smacking off the wall making me yelp.

"Get off me!" I yell at him as he holds me up against the wall and as s frantic look was apparent in his eyes.

"No! Not this time! This time you're going to suffer for your immature tricks! I will make you obey me!" He growled at me, keeping a firm grip of me whilst dragging me out of the room, making me scream out as he marched down the hall way, him just wearing just a white shirt open loosely and his black heart on his face smudged on his face.

"Please let me go!" I scream to him as he drags me down the stairs and I actually heard the sound of him gritting his teeth, then he turned to me.

"Shut your mouth or I'll break your teeth and make you!" He said as he dragged me down the way of the basement, but he took a different way, dragging me through a door as I resisted heavily. When the room was revealed, I gasped in heavily as I realized that it was a...BDSM room. I began to freak out heavily, and he gripped my arm harder and threw me into the center of the room, slamming the door over and locking it as he walked up to me.

"I will break you and make you obey me! I can't have someone as troublesome as you on a voyage, you must submit!" He yelled at me before going over to a cupboard all pulling out some industrial prisoner handcuffs and running over to me, dragging me back to a pole in the room and securing my arms around it so I couldn't move, and I began to scream for help just as he put a gag into my mouth. Just when I doubted it could get much worse, he suddenly grabbed a whip from a back wall and approached me in a heavy way before smacking the leather instrument right across my face, letting all the fluid in my mouth come out and fly across the room as the smack hit me hard as could be.

"How dare you toy with my mind with that?!" He yelled at me, hitting me again on the other side of my face, making me scream through the gag. He kept hitting me again and again, in an attempt to break me, and...it began to work. When the blood began to seep down my face from my cheeks and mouth, I began to feel like submitting would be easier than being beat to possible death.

The torture went on for maybe about an hour, Reaver shouting at me again and again about how much he hated me and how much all wanted to do was use me and make me break before him because I was the only woman who wouldn't.

Then, he said it.

"You'll never be a good Queen to your country!" He yelled at me as blood flew from my mouth, fatigue hitting my body. I stopped. With him saying that, it made me break down and begin to cry hard and scream through the gag in my mouth in absolute horror of what he said to me. He was going to kill me and I was never going to be able to save any of his slaves or Emily or rule properly...I'm worthless.

Then, he stopped. He gave me a look as if something had twinged inside of him and he dropped the bloody whip in his hand and slowly approached me before taking off the gag and cuffs, turning around and walking out of the room, leaving me on the floor bleeding and crying, just like before in his mansion in Millfield.

Days passed, maybe about 3, and I hadn't looked Reaver in the eyes at all. I'd been around him a few times, bringing him food and drink and such but I hadn't looked at him properly or even thought about him properly. It felt like forever until he actually tried to speak to me again.

"Hey, you?" I heard from one of the other maids as I was tapped on the shoulder whilst walking around the mansion, cleaning.

"The Master asks for you in his room." She said giving me a rather uncertainly as she gave me a look of angst.

Slowly, and quite frightened, I began to make my way up to Reaver's bedroom and when I knocked, the door just lightly swung open and a figure sitting by the fire was revealed to me, them obviously holding a glass.

"Shut the door." I heard in Reaver's impatient voice, and I did so and I stood still.

"Come over, sit by me." I heard him say in almost a solemn voice, and I did so, walking over to the chair next to him and planting myself down before I glanced at him...and it made my heart stop. His face was as pale as paper, and not like his usual pale, but pure white. His eyes were dark and the heart on his face was no more. He looked broken.

"My dear I called you here to say...to say that I'm..." He stuttered out words, obviously wanting to get out how he felt about beating me.

"I wanted to say that I didn't mean to...harm you so badly. I got angry because you...well, you aroused me shall I say and because I knew I couldn't have you I-..." His voice began to trail off, as if he knew that apologizing to me as it was already one and over with.

"It's okay." I said in a dry voice, accepting the fact that maybe just letting it be would make my life a bit easier, and he looked at me shocked.

"What? Are you serious?" He said as he looked over to me, gripping the glass in hand, and I sighed out and stood from the chair, wandering across his room and going over to his balcony.

"It's fine. I've been through enough as it is. A little bloodshed won't hurt." I say into the night air as I hear him stand up and come over my way as the moon shone over Bloodstone's waterfront.

"Yes but I haven't lost my mind like that in a while." He said as he stood by me.

"Reaver, promise me something?" I ask him as he looks over my way.

"Yes?" He replied.

"Promise me that after this is all over that I will be free from you forever and that you'll never so much as glance at me again?" I ask him, and he looks down for a moment before also staring out over Bloodstone bay.

"Alright." He begins. "But you're not to leave my side until after the voyage."

"Why although? I submitted to your armada! You've beat me half to death do you honestly think I'd tell anyone about you using me?" I ask him genuinely confused, and he shuffles awkwardly.

"I-I...you're useful company...you keep me on my feet." He said in an odd tone, as if having to force himself to say it, and it made me smirk slightly.

"Are you saying that you enjoy my company?" I ask him, turning to him with the same smirk and he smiles also as the cool ocean breeze hit us both.

"I do my dearest Majesty. Yet, let me show you something to show that I am so very truly sorry."

He sounded horrifically sarcastic, but I knew he was trying to be genuine, it was just the way he spoke. I gave him a nod and then he took my hand and he stood up on the balcony, helping me up too. At first, I was sure we were going to jump down, but then he began to climb up onto the rooftop, helping me as we did so, Bloodstone quiet as the night rolled on. With extreme difficulty, we somehow managed to reach the top of the manor and we found ourselves sitting on the roof, watching the night go by.

"You see that ship over there?" He asked me, pointing to the bay where a huge ship was stationed, and I nodded to him.

"Well, that's the ship we'll be taking our voyage on...tomorrow morning." He said, making me feel shocked.

"Tomorrow? I thought we had like a week left?" I said to him in confusion and he shrugged his shoulders.

"I think me staying in this godforsaken town for too long is bringing the worst out in me...we need to get this voyage started so...you know, you can go home." He said, giving me a weak smile.

"Yeah, home sounds...nice." I said to him as we sat there on the rooftops, letting the night slip by as the cool ocean air hit my face. By tomorrow, we were going to be on the open seas and I was going to be by the pirate kings side for the voyage. But, after it all, I never have to look at him ever again, yet, why does the thought of that bother me and why did it almost seem to bother him? Huh, what am I saying? He doesn't care, he'll just be happy when we're apart. Yet, I don't want him to forget me.

These conflicting feelings, they're hurting me. I just want all of this to be over.


	12. Chapter 12 - The Attack

"Everyone hurry up! We don't have all day!" I heard being yelled in Reaver's voice as we all bustled from side to side, everyone carrying things in their hands, quickly trying to get things from the house and down the Bloodstone docks. I was carrying boxes full of what I assumed to be alcohol and I was just running with them to the boat, throwing them onto the deck for the pirates aboard to pack them into the cargo-hold properly so everything could be secured so the voyage could begin. As soon as all of the things were put into the ships, all of the servants, including myself were all shoved onto the boat in a big group, all of us servants keeping in a little circle of fear as big men with canes beat us into that shape and onto the ship and were trying to get us to go down into the cargo hold with the other belongings. As we were being pushed in, my arm was grasped and I turned to see Reaver who pulled me out from the crowd and held me to the side to stop me going down to the lower decks.

"Stop staring! Go down below, all of you!" Reaver shouted at the servants who had stopped at looked at us oddly for him putting a hand on me. I saw Emily among the crowd and she flashed me a smile, the red, black and gold Reaver Industries outfit making her look rather grand. The servants all got a big fright at the sound of their Masters voice and they all went below deck as told.

"I hope they'll be treated well." I said to Reaver in a firm tone, and he gave me a brief smirk.

"They'll be fine it's just those men who are dangerous to the- Hey! Be careful they count as cargo!" Reaver shouted, stepping away from me and going over to men who had been hitting the servants into line and underneath the ship.

I smirked at this thing that he did as he marched at the men and kept yelling at them and everyone else. I decided to play the part of the maid I was supposed to be and I kept my head bowed when he addressed everyone else to make it seem like I was frightened, as if he'd pulled me to the side to beat me or row me, and it made everyone then stop paying attention to me.

Reaver soon came back over to me and gave me a smile before pulling me across the deck and he opened a door and walked the both of us into a lavish room that was presumably his and I smirked.

"What a room you have, Captain." I say to him as I glance to him as he streches out.

"I'm hungry." Reaver said as he glanced over to me, giving me a look as if to say 'Would you?' and I sighed.

"Where would I find food?" I asked him as he gave me a smirk.

"Oh, the cargo holds where all the other slaves are. You'll find some in there. Make sure to take some for yourself although; don't want you starving to death." He said in his sarcastic tone, making me roll my eyes back.

 _'All the other slaves'? Huh._

I left the room as he said so and I made my way across the deck and into the cargo holds where everyone else, just talking away to each other and I saw Emily and I gave her a wave as she waved back. This obviously wasn't these peoples first voyage; they'd seemingly done it before from their calmness.

I went over to some barrels in the corner that were open which just so happened to have piles of salt in them, which I'm guessing contained salted fish. I found two plates from another crate and I took two pieces of the salted fish, one for me and one for Reaver as I found a crate with alcohol in it, which I also took a bottle of and I made my way back upstairs and back into Reaver's cabin as he looked over to me, seemingly getting undressed.

"Find anything of interest?" He asked me in his obnoxious tone, and I looked to the plates I was holding.

"Salted fish and...uh, alcohol?" I said in a slanted tone as I wasn't sure what the liquid was and I placed a plate on the dresser and kept another in my hands for myself.

"God I do hate the food we have to eat on the ocean. Nothing fresh for weeks, it's disgusting." Reaver said in his usual pompous tone, and I rolled my eyes. When I was training to become a hero, any type of food was a god sent, especially something as expensive as fish. I guess their only choice is to carry preserved food with them as they must not stop in many ports, more like a voyage in two three steps. One, board ship. Two, do what you have to do. Three, un-board and go home.

"Stop complaining; just be happy we can eat." I say to him and I give him a laugh as he turned his nose up at the food before slowly accepting and beginning to eat it. The taste of the salt was strong, but it was nice to eat properly for once. I looked at the pirate as he sat by his dresser, looking rather tired and rather stressed, the heart on his face back in its rightful place, but instead of being all black, it had red in the middle to match the rest of his clothes.

After a while of eating and of Reaver drinking whatever it was heavily, he sighed as rolled his head back.

"Now, my dear, there is something I must admit." The seemingly drunk Reaver said as he turned his head to me, and I looked to him as I collected his plate and now empty bottle.

"What is it?" I questioned him as I leaned off to the side, studying the pirate.

"I must admit that not many people will survive this torturous voyage." He began, giving a drunken 'hic'. "And I even doubt you'll make it my Queen." He said to me as he gave me a smile, obviously a little unaware of exactly what he was saying.

I thought for a second about what he said. Could he just be speaking drunk or could this be the truth? Are a lot of us really going to die from being here?

"Why wouldn't we make it?" I asked him as his smile widened.

"Other pirates." He said as he stood from his seat and made his way over to me as he stumbled slightly.

Maybe it wasn't the best idea to give him alcohol, but at least he's happy.

Then, all of a sudden, he wrapped his arms around me, making me jump a little and he just held me close, pulling my head into his chest.

"I do hope you survive so one day I may take that innocence from you." He said, slurring his words a little as he smile grew above me, and what he said made me jump even more.

"Did you just say-"

"When this is over I'm going to bed you." He smiled to me as I pushed him off me, making him stumble back a good few steps and make him frown.

"I'm not ever sleeping with you, Reaver. We've been over this before." I say as I look to him disgusted as he tilts his head.

"You'll sleep with me one day, my fairest majesty. Everyone does." He says to me, using his arms to flare his opinion, and I scoffed at him.

"Never. Not even if you were the last man on Earth." I say to him truthfully, attempting to bruise his ego, and he placed a hand on his heart, a usual sign that he found it funny that someone tried to offend him.

"You think you won't, but you will, just like your mother."

With that, I dropped the plates and I ran up to him, the power in my veins pumping and causing blue lines to suddenly cover my body and Reaver gave a sharp gasp as I slammed him to the back wall.

"How dare you?" I say to him quietly to assure no-one could possibly hear, and he grits his teeth.

"Let me go before I beat you again.""You wouldn't do that, let's face it. Just don't be so arrogant, or next time, you'll have to deal with a Hero."

"I'm a hero as well."

"Yes over fifty years ago." I say as I release him from my grip and let him drop to his knees, and he grits his teeth as if he wanted to say something to me before standing back up and straightening his cravat, that experience obviously sobering him up a little.

"Now, be a dear and take those things to the servants below to wash. We're heading out into open water." He said as he pointed behind me to the plates, and I did so, decided that he's probably had enough as the blue veins faded away and let me looking the same again and I picked up the plates and I walked out of the room as he followed behind me, going to an upper deck as I went below.

As I went down, Emily suddenly ran to me.

"What happened? We heard a slam!" Emily said to me in a panic, studying me as if looking for cuts or bruises.

"Oh, that was nothing; I and Reav-...I mean the Master had a little disagreement." I said as a servant came to me and took the plates from my hands and I nodded to them respectfully as Emily tilted her head.

"My, you and Reaver do have an odd relationship. What was the disagreement about?" She asked me, and I thought it if I should tell her or not, and I decided that there was no choice in not telling her.

"He wants me to sleep with him, but I said no." I said dryly to her as her mouth hangs open.

"Really? You must be the only one who hasn't succumbed to him!" She exclaimed to me as the ship jolted heavily, obviously begin to leave harbour as me and Emily almost lost our footing, decided to sit on the steps to secure ourselves.

"Yes, of course, him and all his 'charm'." I laugh to her we both suddenly heard Reaver shouting from up top.

"Move yourselves faster or I'll shoot the bloody lot. I don't care if I said they count as cargo, get down there and make them work!"

Me and Emily suddenly looked to each other and moved from the stairs as the men from before came down and caused a stir between us all, forcing us all to the open deck. As I walked up, we saw the ship leaving Bloodstone dock and we were all ordered to go to other parts of the ship. Some to the kitchen, some to the bedrooms and others to work on the deck as I saw Reaver at the back, standing with the ships steering wheel, hanging over it with a grin on his face just as Emily leaned over to me.

"The Masters drunk, isn't he?" She asked as I nodded my head to her, holding in a nervous laugh as she went in another direction to me as I was ordered to go to the kitchen and she to clean bedrooms for the other pirates on board. I followed the others who had been ordered to the kitchen, and I went willingly, anything to get off deck and away from Reaver.

I went to the kitchen and I stayed there for several hours, making food as presentable as it could be in its preserved state and we served the whole crew, but not Reaver. Apparently, he'd retired to his cabin early, but was still asking for my presence, so I went.

On opening the door to his room, he was already asleep in his bed, lying on his back in his white shirt, his eyes softly shut as he breathed deeply. I approached him and I pulled the chair up from the dressing table to his bedside, and I sat down in front of the sleeping man.

"Reaver is industry, huh?" I asked him in his state of peaceful sleep and I sighed once more. I had these same feelings from when I saw him sleeping, the feeling that you'd never know how pompous and purely insane he is when he sleeps.

"You're an evil bastard Reaver, but I can't help but look at you." I'm not sure what made me do it, but I placed my hand on the side of his sleeping face, and he seemingly nuzzled into it softly, making me slightly shocked.

"Maybe one day you'll change." I smiled to him just as he about to stir, and I pulled my hand back, seemingly making him furrow his face.

"No, come back." He muttered as he reached out to me, eyes shut and I complied and put my hand back to the usual place on his face.

"But the heart on you face?" I say, commenting on the makeup that I didn't wish to mess up in case he hit me again, but he then put a hand over my hand, keeping it in place on his face.

"I don't care, smudge my heart. You are the only one who can anyway."

When he said that, it made my heart flutter. What did that mean? I know he was commenting on the painted heart he wears on his face, but I feel as if he meant more than that.

"Reaver, there's more food for me to prepare for the morning." I said to him, pulling my hand away and going to move, but he suddenly gripped my wrist lightly.

"I do not care. Come, get into bed." He said as he lifted his covers a little, thankfully still fully clothed. I gasped for a second before my face burned red.

"Reaver I've already told you I'm not going to let you bed me." I frowned to him as he raised and eyebrow, eyes still closed.

"I don't wish to bed you right now, I'm too tired. Come sleep."

I thought for a minute, and I decided that why shouldn't I sleep beside him if he wants me. He's too intoxicated to even try anything anyway and I moved from the chair and into the bed beside him, facing him as my face continued to burn and a smile appeared on his face as he suddenly pulled me in close.

"Goodnight, your majesty." He said as he seemed to drift back off into sleep, and I settled down in the bed, and before I knew it, I was asleep as well.

"Oh don't tell me we had sex and I missed it!"

My eyes suddenly shot open to the voice of a very hungover and disgruntled Reaver, sitting up in the bed and my head lay on his chest and in forgetting my situation, I sat up properly to look at him.

"No, we didn't have sex. You just wanted me to sleep beside you." I say to him as he sighed in a dramatic way.

"Drats! I was sure I had bedded you."

Something about this made me smile. It was his almost bipolar attitude from being intoxicated and tired to being hungover and wide awake; there was something terribly funny about it.

"Ah well, never the less, there is another day ahead! Another day, the closer to our prize!" He said as he threw his bedcovers off and I stood up, brushing himself off, glancing in the mirror and then going for the door to the room, me quickly following behind. As we got out on deck, there was men everywhere working hard as usual as servants walked from cabin to cabin with cleaning supplies and Reaver suddenly pulled my arms, making me stumble but walk with him. He began pulling to the very front of the ship before he looked over for a second.

"You there! Yes, you! Drive the ship would you please? I don't care if you have no experience! Well this is a perfect time to learn! Look, take the wheel. Ah, see? There you go! Oh and if you hit anything I will shoot you. I don't care if I forced you or not." He sighed and rubbed his head, obviously disgruntled and bored of the men on the ship.

"Why are we here? Aren't you supposed to steer the ship?" I asked him as he looked down to me.

"Well, yes of course but I wanted to ask you something just before I got started on that, but I wish to be outside so I could track the ships progress." He said in an awkward way, as if he was feeling nervous about something, and I tilted my head as a way to say 'Go on', and he swallowed hard.

"Well, I was wondering if our deal still stands." He said to me as I gave him a confused, the wind picking up as the ship tore through the water, sails flying.

"The deal that I never see you again after our voyage." He said as he looked to the floor momentarily, and I thought for a moment. Do I really wish to have this happen? I mean, Reaver has used me, tricked me, shot me twice, practically kidnapped me, used me as a slave, beat me, dragged me onto a possibly killed voyage and...he asks me this now? Why do I want to say no?...

"That deal still stands. I think you understand me when I say that, Reaver." I say to him as I tilt my head at the thought of never even so much as glancing at Reaver again, and it made my stomach turn. I'm becoming too attached to Reaver.

"Ah yes of course, I understand!" He said as if pretending to be chirpy, but there was an underline of someone internally hurt in his voice.

"That's fine. I can't wait to get you away from me, you're nothing but trouble!" He said to me in his pompous way, and I sighed to him and I turned away from the captain.

"You don't have to be so cold." I said before I made my way away from him.

Time had passed and I had spent it with Emily in one of the rooms of the ship, speaking to her about my experience, still keeping on the down low that I was the Queen and she listened to me as I listened to her.

"I was five and I lost my father to some kind of disease and that resulted in my family being horrifically poor. We were moved from regular Bowerstone to the Industrial state, and I began work at seven underneath Reaver's rule. My mother died when I was 12 from illness as well from the factory work, and I was alone, but I was independent. Soon then one day, I was called to Reaver's office almost sure that my execution awaited me, but he asked me to serve him as a personal maid. I don't know what made him to this day, but it wasn't out of liking, he never even learned my name. I've now been under him for 7 years."

Her story was mostly regular for young females of Albion. Losing their parents, being alone and then being picked up by tycoons who wish for household servants to prove their status, but I was glad that she managed to work under Reaver. If she never did, I would've never have met her to save her.

She told me more stories of the dreams she had of living as royalty or even working under royalty, and as she told me I smiled to her as I knew one day she would, under me.

Just then, as she was explaining more, the ship suddenly jolted violently and I and Emily were thrown off of our feet. As we were on the floor, we gave each other a horrified look before she stood and looked to me.

"Take off your heels, they might get caught and they'll be harder to run in. Leave your apron behind, it'll get caught and keep your hair up okay?" She said to me as I stood beside her as I knew what she was meaning.

"The ships under attack." She said as she left all of her things and ran out of the cabin, me following. It was obvious that this wasn't the first time she'd done this. As we ran out on deck, the ship was most definitely slanted off to the side and on the left side I saw another huge ship looming over us. I couldn't help but stare, but a pull of my arm by Emily made me sprint with her.

"The cargo hold been hit it seems. Don't go downstairs, not for anything. You'll get hurt, it's orders." She said to me as she pulled me across the deck to the front of the boat and she looked over, staring into the water.

"We can climb down the ship and get into a cabin that'll be safe, but we'll have to smash a window." She said to me as she looked over, and in the franticness of the attack, I looked over as I was expecting to see Reaver at the wheel of the ship, incoherently screaming at people but...he wasn't there.

"Where is the Master?" I suddenly yelled out the servants who did what Emily described, who were climbing down the edge of the ship and were making their way into a cabin at the front through a now smashed window.

"He went to the cargo hold, presumably to find a servant." One shouted back up to me, making my heart thump inside of my chest hard, feeling as if it could burst. I stared at Emily who was making sure that everyone was getting into their safe place properly, and she gave me a look of angst as if to say 'Don't bother', but I couldn't help myself. I turned from her and began running to the opening of the cargo hold as she called after me, and I turned for a second as I saw her going over the side, obvious tears in her eyes and I watched as she lowered herself to safety as the crew of the ship ran around frantically.

I began to make my way to the cargo hold where there was a big draft coming from, which made my heart sink, it had been hit. As I got down, I saw a large hole in the side of the ship that thankfully wasn't letting in water and I scanned around and I couldn't see Reaver. I called his name and a groan was heard, and I went over to a set of scattered barrels as I saw him there, blood everywhere.

"Reaver!" I yelled, kneeling to him as he bled against the wall.

"I wasn't hit, the blast smacked me back. I came to look for you." He said as he was putting pressure onto the wound he had on his abdomen, as if he'd been shot.

"I thought you were immortal!"

"Immortal, but not invincible." He groaned to me as another bang was sounded in the ship, another blast sounding. I thought to myself quickly, and I knew I had to move him and get him back to the ships wheel, regardless of the injury. I quickly picked him up and over my shoulder with all the strength I could and he gave a scream as I held him up, the blood dripping down my outfit. I quickly ran up the stairs of the ship and across the deck to the wheel, and I put him down as he slumped ver the wheel, seemingly passing out.

"Reaver you have to try, that other ship is going to sink us!" I say as I glance to the other ship across the way as it seems to be gaining on us, and as I turn back, Reaver was completely passed out over the wheel of the ship, and I gasped in sharply on seeing the very dead looking Reaver, covered in his own blood. I had no time to think, and I quickly pushed him from the wheel, making him hit the floor and I began to drag the wheel in the opposite direction of the other ship. The wheel was very hard to use, it was extremely heavy and rather rusted. Yet, soon enough, I managed to get out of the way of the other ship and into open water again as the servants poured over the front of the ship again, coming back up from their hiding place as they all looked across horrified.

"Master!" I heard Emily scream as she ran over with the rest of the servants and pirates.

"Quickly, someone get cloths! Put pressure on the wound!" One of the servants suddenly drew their apron from their body and threw it to me, and I kneeled down to Reaver and began to add pressure.

"Quickly, men, take him to his quarters and keep the pressure!" Pirates of the ship suddenly lifted Reaver from his spot and ran with him to his quarters as I followed fast behind, Emily trailing also.

As we reached his room he was put onto his bed, and his eyes were now open, but he was most definitely not awake, his head was just back as his eyes were open as well as his mouth slightly ajar. I quickly ripped off half of my already short dress and I quickly pulled his shirt from his body to see one of his ribs coming through his chest and I attempted to keep calm, just happy that he wasn't awake for the ordeal. No wonder he groaned so much when I picked him up. I then used all the force I could and I pushed the rib back into his body before wrapping the cloth around it before a health potion was handed to me, and as his mouth was open, it was poured into his mouth as Emily stepped forwards and rubbed his throat so it would go down and not choke him, and it seemed as if it had worked. We all took a breath, sighing knowing that he's now be okay and everyone left the room for him to sleep, but I never left him. I pulled a chair up to him and took one of his hands into mine, holding it steadily as I drifted off to sleep, sitting there with him.


	13. Chapter 13 - The Jealous Type

Suddenly, seemingly out of no-where, I awoke once again, but this time I was lying on the bed where Reaver originally was when I had gone to sleep the night before, fatigued from the terror that had occurred on the under parts of the decks . I awoke with a start, sitting up to see a very tired looking Reaver sitting in the chair next to me where I was originally seated and I found myself to have been lying on the pirates lord very own bed, not a spec of blood surrounding me.

"Reaver?" I questioned to him as he suddenly sat up to look at me, giving a deep sigh as if a child being woken from a slumber by a mother in the early hours of the morning time.

"Oh, hello your majesty." He said to me in a husky and almost hung-over way as he rubbed his eyes, opening them slowly to look at me as, forcing a weak smile to me.

"You...moved me?" I asked him gently, and he yawned before smiling to me properly, sitting up straight.

"The potion I was given fixed me and I had no reason to be in bed at that point, and as you were asleep I moved you yet didn't care to move."

That was a lot coming from Reaver. Reaver usually never so much as feeds people, never mind manually moving someone so their comfortable. Is this an odd way of Reaver telling me he somewhat cares? Why would he continue to sit with me here in this room? Perhaps he had no-where else to go, it was probably late.

"Oh and, that was quite the heroic move to come and save me. I must thank you; no-one would've come down otherwise." He said as he took my hand and gave a firm grip, a sign of his appreciation towards my actions and it made me smirk.

"That is quite alright. I had to keep the only person who can properly steer the ship alive." I joked to him and his head tilted slightly, as if questioning if that was the only reason why I came for him, but he seemingly accepted it.

I couldn't help but think although, what would've happened to us all if I had never gone against orders and gone down to the cargo-holds? What is Emily had grabbed me or had forced me into the safe hiding place? I can't dare to think what would have happened to the voyage if Reaver had died and I hadn't managed to get the ship away.

Soon enough, I got up, thanked Reaver for what he did even although it was small and I made my way back around the ship after making sure he was surely healed. I made food, cleaned cabins, talked to Emily, and I repeated that for about a week. I kept doing those things again and again, seeing Reaver now and then on the ship as he smiled at me. Nothing interesting seemed as if it could happen, until the night Reaver decided to host a party.

"Are you going to go?" Emily asked me as she stood folding clothes over her arm and placing them into different drawers, and I smiled to her as she did so.

"It's on the deck of the ship; I doubt we can avoid it!" I laugh to her as she puts the last shirt away as she turned to me as she tilted her head slightly.

"I have nothing to wear." She sighed to herself, and I thought for a minute. I'm sure Reaver must keep woman's clothes somewhere from the towns and different ships he's seized, there must be something we can wear.

"Don't worry, I'll find you something." I said to her, making her smile large and happily.

"What? Will you plunder the Masters room?" She asked with a laugh, and I nodded.

"That's exactly what I was thinking." I replied to her as I began to move out of the room just as Reaver walked into it.

"Reaver!" I yelled as I got a fright, making Emily look up to us.

"Master?" Emily questioned as Reaver didn't automatically move away from me, like he would with any servant. I gave him a stare, an intense one, and I saw it click in his eyes.

"Step back, slave!" He yelled at me, giving me a light push, but I dramatized it and threw myself to the ground like he had shoved me hard, and Emily gasped. I didn't want to lie to Emily like that, but I didn't have a choice.

"Master, that very disre-"

"So are you two ladies coming to my party tonight?" He asked, cutting off Emily in his own form of avoiding more questions, and I gave a nod from the floor.

"Of course, Captain." I said to Reaver who looked significantly taller from the position I was in. Not that he's not tall, he's the tallest man I've ever met, but from this angle it's just ridiculous, and intimidating for that matter, and I stood up, still a lot smaller than him.

"Perfect! If you two lovely ladies need gowns I will supply them for you being such lovely servants!" He said in a grand way, making Emily's smile grow as she looked at me. Reaver then went to Emily, took her hand, and kissed the back of it.

"Forgive my violence. Please do come." Reaver said as Emily's cheeks burned red.

"Y-Yes, of course Master." Emily stuttered out, making me giggle a little to myself. It was true; no-one could apparently help but succumb to Reaver's charm. He smiled to her once more and let go of her hand before coming over to me.

"Come with me." He whispered to me, and I once again faked my fear as Emily looked as if she was going to protest, but she stood down as I gave her a reassuring nod, and I followed on behind Reaver and we left the room, leaving Emily alone. I walked behind him across the deck and he went to his cabin, holding the door for me as I walked in.

"That girl is lovely." He commented as the door was shut.

"That's Emily, remember her?" I asked him as he looked confused until a switch obviously flicked.

"Ah yes, Emily. She looks a lot like you." He almost purred to me as I casted him a glare before smiling again.

"Yes, hence why you've slept with her." I laugh as his face all of a sudden goes red.

"Oh! Look at that, he does feel! Next I'll be naming him!" I said with deep sarcasm in my voice, mocking the vile way he had spoken to me before about his servants, and he sighed out deeply.

"You were a violent minx that night." He said with almost a growl. "But oh I craved you horribly." He admitted, gripping his fist together to show his frustration.

"Yet anyway." I say to quickly change the subject. "This party, what is it for?" I ask as he smirks.

"My recovery of course! And you once again shall be the guest of honour for saving my life!" He said, doing a little twirl to prove his happiness, and it made me laugh.

"I'd love to, but I have nothing to wear." I said honestly, and he smiled.

"Just...clean your outfit and wear that outfit. It's a party on a ship, not in a grand hall! Make sure all servants attend!"

"You're being way too nice." I say to counter him, and he gives me a smirk.

"Perhaps? Would you prefer if I held a party for everyone to be whipped into shape?" He asked with a smirk, making me frown as he's literally done that to me before. As my face dropped, it was as if he'd realized what he'd said, and he stuttered a little.

"I-I mean go and get ready my dearest." He suddenly turned me around and began to shove me for the door, eventually getting me out and slamming the door.

Bloody coward.

I made my way back across the deck, and down into the cargo hold again and I announced Reaver's plan, and all of the servants seemed pleased, especially Emily. They all liked the idea of a on-board party as they'd never had one before and they all took huge interest. They all got their uniforms cleaned to the best extent and everyone wiped off all the blood and dirt that was on them from the voyage, and all of a sudden, everyone looked much more presentable. Soon, the evening arose and I found myself on the deck of the ship as the moonlight shone down, clapping to the Gypsy music that was playing as everyone joined arms and danced around happily with each other, the Master of the ship right in among the crowd, dancing with men and woman alike as if they were the noble men and ladies I would see at his mansion rendezvous. Just like another party of his I attended earlier in our meetings, I was abruptly grasped by a random male pirate, and he pulled me into another mercenary themed dance, 'The Balverine Turn' once more, as the water lapped up against the ships walls. I had noticed that through out the crowds of people. Reaver has kept glancing over to me now and then as if to make sure I wasn't doing anything out of hand, or in other words, not doing anything he would do. The feeling of his eyes being locked onto my body did not bring the uneasyness it would've all those months ago, hell, those few weeks ago in his Bloodstone manor. Yet, it brought an odd feeling of comfort to me as it gave me a sense of protection, but probably a false feeling at that, he does not care for any soul to have any large regard for their life, regardless of the fact of me being the Queen that he has faltered so in the past few months. And yet, he kept his eyes placed onto me regardless of whatever turn or step he took, until the music stopped and a crowd of female servants came all around him and began to flurry him with speech and he stopped looking at me, making me feel as if a physical weight was lifted off of me. As I watched, I noticed Emily in the group of woman and she was probably closest to him. It was clear to me most of this time that Emily has had a firm liking to her Master and that she too had succumb to his charming ways towards all genders, and it almost made me smirk as he watched over the frolicking ladies. Yet, as I went back to sit on the steps leading up the steps to the main wheel, a sailor approached me.

"Ahoy." He said to me in a rather rough tone, most likely trying to be stereotypical and I smiled up to the figure in front of me.

"Ahoy." I said back with almost a laugh, the slang word for 'Hello' almost throwing off my uprightness and he smiled to me in a kind way before putting a hand out to me.

"Would ye like to dance wi' me, ma'am?" He asked me in his odd tone and I nodded my head in acceptance, standing as he pulled me into himself as the gypsy music started again. He pulled me around and around as everyone else began to join into the dance happily and I was enjoying myself thoroughly but...then I noticed that Reaver wasn't dancing at all, he was standing with his arms folded across his body as he glared across the way at me, lots of woman obviously trying to convince him to dance with him, but it wasn't working, he just kept standing there angrily as if someone had plundered his belongings. The person I was with seemed harmless, yet interesting. They had the nature of someone I perhaps wanted to know maybe, someone who could have potential.

Then, the part in the dance came where the male tips over the female partner and gives them a quick kiss. It's a traditional pirates dance, what do you think? Then, as I was tipped over all of a sudden a gunshot was heard and I heard a few people scream and I fell the the ground, my partner falling just by me, bleeding from the head. I looked across the way to see Reaver standing there, gun up, smoke still coming from the end as he glared at me.

"Why did you do that?" I shouted across the way to him, a little more than disappointed that the person I thought of getting to know more was already dead within a few minutes.

"I don't want any kissing on my deck unless it's by me. Men, come and throw that body overboard before I shoot another one of you." He said dismissively as the people with their instruments began to play the music again in an attempt to shove it off, and it seemingly worked as the body of the man was thrown over the side. I got up from my spot, thankfully not covered in blood and I stormed over to him as he leaned over the side of the ship.

"Are you drunk or something? It's a part of the dance!" I shout to him as he sighs and raises his head to me.

"I didn't want to see any of that. Besides as I said, if any kissing is going on it's coming from me." He said in a low tone, getting his point across to me and I sighed.

"Possessive bastard." I muttered to myself just as I went to walk away just as he grasped my arm and pulled me into him, suddenly giving me a heavy and harsh kiss, holding me into place, our faces locked. Then, he released me and pushed me out of his way.

"There, is that possessive enough for you, my dear?" He said to me in his usual tone as I just walked away back into the party, disgruntled but yet a little amused.


	14. Chapter 14 - The Faked Plunder

Chapter 14

The party must've been in full swing for about another few hours, and it was definitely the 'AM' hours when it finally finished and most retired, but myself and Reaver who stayed on deck.

"It's a gorgeous night, my Queen." He said as he looked up to the sky above the water, the stars shining out as the moonlight shadowed the deck.

"Since when did you care for natures aesthetics?" I ask him as I glance over to him and he smirks.

"Since I was a lad." He looked over. "Over 200 years ago."

I'm still to an extent taken a-back by Reaver's old age; it's very astounding to think. You can tell from his slightly dated speech that he's struggled to keep up with the times of this day and age, but he's been doing well. He is the main man of industrialisation in Albion, and yet, he's a pirate on a ship he's owned for over 100 years and yet…he still was as agile as a young man.

"And it's never been boring?" I asked him in genuine curiosity.

"If it was I wouldn't be gazing so." He said as he looked up as the water nearly silently lapped up against the side of the ship. Just then as we were relaxed, a ship began to loom in the darkness over to the right side of the ship.

"You must be joking." Reaver said in a disgruntled tone as he looked over in the direction of the ship that was approaching ours, but he squinted in an odd way.

"What's wrong?" I asked, bracing myself for the possible attack that was about to occur.

"Can't you see?" He then pointed out towards the other deck. "There's no-one on board."

As I squinted too, I saw that what he was said was truth and that there really wasn't anyone on board.

"Maybe their hiding for attack?" I asked uncertainly and he shook his head.

"I would say that was right but…all the sails are slashed. We must be getting close." He said as he took a step back, watching as the lifeless ship floated past us both.

"Getting…close?" I ask as I couldn't seem to take my eyes off the empty ship.

"Do you remember how I said that not a lot of us would survive this voyage? Well, this is why." He said with a deep gulp, and I stood there stricken.

"I didn't think you were being serious. Where is this place we're going?" I ask, now getting desperate for some legitimate answers, and he looks over to me.

"I'm not sure; I've never known to be honest. They say that your ship has to be pretty lost to find the place and well, I think we've succeeded. "

"You mean we've been lost this whole time?"

"Yes, but not anymore." He said almost silently as the ship passed us by and he looked over to me,

"You're sleeping in my cabin tonight." He said in a firm voice which almost made me jump.

"Why would I-…"

"This place I've heard can…show you things, drive a man insane. It may be like that wretched 'Darkness' you fought all those years ago, but run by the long dead pirate king." He said as he bit his lip.

"I thought _you_ were the pirate king?"

"I only am because I killed for the title, but, he came back in the form of a spirit one day and he still has thing I want."

"This is horrifically dangerous."

"Which makes it more fun, no?"

"I guess so." I say in a low tone as I look to him properly, and he wasn't even looking at me, he was staring off into the distance looking rather frightened to be fair.

"Now, we must retire, alright?" He says to me as he turns to face me with a concerned look, reaching a hand out towards me, edging me on to take a hold of it, and I do. He gives the ship a once over one last time, scanning his eyes around the empty deck that held no-body but us and he made a 'tsk' noise, as if still feeling extremely disgruntled. Turning back, he walked across the deck with me and lead me into his cabin, locking the door and putting a chair up against it as he did so, staring at the door as if to say 'I hope it holds'.

"I've never seen you look so concerned." I said to him as I made my way towards his dressing table, sitting and looking at the arrangements of things on it, some even looking a bit odd. There were containers with what seemed to be makeup scattered on his desk as well as what seemed to be blood stains. I decided not to ask.

"These doors aren't as sturdy as they used to be." He said in a very low tone as he glanced over to me before properly turning and making his way over to me, leaning on his table and looking at the roof.

"Is it really as dangerous as you make it out to be?" I asked in a sheepish way. I knew for a fact that it was indeed very serious, if it wasn't Reaver would've already brushed it off and not have cared. Yet, even though Reaver is very good at masking any emotions inside of his being, I can see the fear in his eyes as if it is eating away at him, as if he's seen it before or has heard the folk tales that most likely go along with it.

"It's more dangerous." He glanced over to me. "That's why I'm taking precaution."

I thought for a minute to myself and I remembered back to my experiences with the darkness is Aurora and in Albion, and it made me quiver just to recall the events. Those times were horrific as could be and they haunted me for months, the images it gave me and the monsters that lay within. Yet, if I remember correctly, at that point in time Reaver was busy with the Shadow Court, explained in a letter he left for me in the castle stating 'when I get back I hope not to find you all dead' or something along those lines, something dark I'm sure. That makes me wonder if he'd ever actually experience the darkness first hand or anything like it, apart from the Shadow Court. Perhaps that's why he's frightened.

"That door won't stop the Darkness if that's exactly what it is." I said honestly to him to give him a better idea, and he frowned.

"Yes of course, I know that. It'll just keep out those _blasted_ men."

"'Blasted men'?"

" _His_ pirates." He said in almost a growl to me, gritting his teeth harshly as he looked back to the roof of the cabin.

"Shouldn't we have our men awake and ready for attack?" I asked him and he shook his head quickly.

"No, they're all dead you see, they're in the spiritual state of their lifetime because, well, I killed them all after I took on that pirate king. Your mother even managed to plunder his spirit and by Avo I was so impressed I grasped your mother and-"

"Reaver! The story?" I say to put him back on the rails of what he was supposed to be saying.

"Ah yes, of course. Well, that pirate has come back once more but his ship still has things I wish as it was stolen from Bloodstone bay by his crew again. You see, the pirate crew are, shall I say, dim. They don't like to struggle with doors or walls so they go for easier targets, so we should be safe yet the visions and voices that we will hear due to the powers they hold shall be horrific."

As he explained more and more, I grew more frightened for the night ahead.

"Yet, what easier targets could they go for and why exactly?" I ask as he looks back to me.

"The cargo-holds of course. Once they kill everyone in there they will think the whole ship is plundered, especially due to the amount of numbers done there! Thus, myself, you and the other professional pirates locked in their rooms will be safe and will be able to advance towards the bay where he lives."

My heart sank.

"I'm not letting you just throw away servants lives like that! I'm not letting Emily just die like that!"

"But if we don't give those spirits some decoys we will both die." He said as he stood from the desk and towered above me as I sat, folding his arms across his chest.

"You should've thought about that before you brought me then. They're not dying tonight."

"Well some of them have to!"

He kept countering me, putting me on the spot. What am I to do about this? I do not wish to die yet, it is not my time yet and nor is it Reaver's and it is most definitely not Emily's time either. Yet, as for the servants, what of them?

Just then, white suddenly flashed around the room brightly and seemingly stopped time, Reaver frozen in place, his expression of angst stuck as the room turned an odd, muted grey colour just as Theresa, my mentor, appeared in front of me, dressed in all red as usual.

"Hello hero." She said in her low monotone as she bowed her head down, looking to the floor as she stood, her hands clasped in front of her.

"Theresa, what am I to do?" I ask her as I stand from my chair and move towards her.

"The situation you are in is dire, it is true, but you must not let the servants of this ship die." She said as she lifted her head, her white, blind eyes looking to me.

"Then what shall we do?" I ask, feeling fear as I knew the night-time was close by.

"I have an idea. When the pirates do arrive, get out of this room and face them, but make sure Reaver can watch. You will have his gun and you shall shoot yourself on deck." She said calmly, as if it was an everyday occurrence and I gasped.

"Is it my fate to die now?" I asked in a sad tone as I saw a smile appear on her face.

"No hero, you are not to die yet. I shall bestow upon you a special potion that will make it unable to harm you. The reason to do this is because the pirates who try to plunder you will see it as a cowards ship with no interesting battles, which shall turn them away." She said to me as she put her hand out, Reaver's gun, the Dragonstomper, appearing in her hand and I moved towards her to pick it up.

"Are you sure it'll work?" I ask as I tuck it into my pocket and she gives a laugh.

"I can see the future. I know so." She said as she took a step back as I did the same, walking back to the chair and sitting down.

"Alright hero, I must go back now. Good luck, you shall succeed."

"Yet why must you want Reaver to see?" I asked her confused.

"He will tell you things that will alter your future." She said as she looked back down to the floor.

Just then, the room flashed back to normal and she was gone.

"I do not care what friends you may have we must do something!" Reaver continued to ramble, completely oblivious to the conversation that had just taken place. I nodded to everything, calm now that my plan was in place, yet scared. I've never...shot myself before.

As I looked over to Reaver's table again, I noticed a bottle that wasn't there before, Reaver not seeing as his back was turned. I quickly took the lid off and I drank what was within and it made my blue veins appear for a second like a deep heartbeat all over my body, and I could feel the power. Reaver seemingly noticed the colour change momentarily and it looked as if he was going to say something before he went quiet.

Night-time fell quicker than I felt it should've and before I knew it Reaver was pacing, awaiting the first sound of attack. Then, it sounded, a gunshot in the distance and I took this as my signal. I jumped from the seat and ran towards the door, throwing the chair out of the way and opening it to see a ghostly ship appear just by this ship. Reaver called after me, before covering his mouth and ducking into the doorway.

"Oh my, pirates!" I yelled out, specifically trying to grab the attention of the other crew, using a false terrified voice and as I said it, I heard low laughter.

" _A maid_? Where is your captain girl?!" I heard being shouted at me in a deep, heavily pirate accented voice.

"The captain is dead! Everyone is very dead!" I said a fake, weak crying voice as if a maid terror stricken.

"Dead? You are the only one left?" They ask as they all begin to chuckle, shouting from the other ship.

"Yes, and I am defenceless!" I shout out to them just as they seemed to want to move in, and I drew my gun quickly. I drew it up to my head, shaking hard. I was terrified. Then, bang. I shot myself in the head.

I fell to the floor hard, but I did not feel any pain, which was such a relief. When I fell, I was left facing towards Reaver's bedrooms doorway and he was standing there, his hand gripped over his mouth as his eyes were open wide, looking as if he could scream.

"Coward. The ships already been plundered. Onwards!" I heard in a low accented voice as the ship seemingly pulled away. Reaver waited a minute and then spirited over to me and took me into his arms. I decided to have a bit of fun and try to find out what Theresa meant by he'd tell me things.

"My lady! Come now do not die right now! There is so much to do!" He shouted at me in a panic, and I just lay back faking my death. If I was a regular being, I would be very dead by now anyway.

"My lady! There is so much to do for us! We have a life to lead with each other…I-I mean a life to lead by each other's side!" He exclaimed at me as I rolled my eyes back and I could feel my wounds already healing and closing.

"My dear no…I feel for you, I-…" He said as he looked as if he was crying. I couldn't put on the façade for any longer, I had learned what I need to know.

"Are you telling me you're in love with me?" I said back to him, opening my eyes as I smirked almost evilly at him as a frown phased his face.

"You deceiving, ignorant…" His voice trailed off a little. "I'm glad you're okay." He said, probably now fully aware that I had just saved the ship and the rest of the crew from a bloody fate.

"Did you forget for a minute that I was a hero?" I asked as he continued to hold onto me, still apparently shaken from the fright I'd given him from my faked death.

"I did, you fooled me. I commend you for that." He said as he picked me up into his arms and I smirked.

"And, what was that? You feel for me, huh? Well, how interesting!" I say in a way to poke at his weak moment, and he actually smiled down to me, not at all lie how I imagined his response.

"Perhaps I do, it is true. Just…don't scare me like that again." He said in a low tone as he held me close to his body in a warm embrace.

He was happy I was alive, and he seemingly didn't want to let me go. I wouldn't believe it if he'd never told me, Reaver…cares for me. How very interesting.


	15. Chapter 15 - The Shocking Confession

After the event with the pirates and me shooting myself on deck, I was taken back from being in Reaver's service to spending most of my time in his cabin. He never exactly told me why, he kept me enclosed in, most likely due to the fear that came with the spirits that were apparently in these waters. Reaver would come to see me most times, he wouldn't leave me alone for more than an hour, but, it was odd. He'd finally said that he had feelings for me, which I found horrifically hard to believe, but it still amused me. Days must've gone past and the ship wouldn't stop almost capsizing, there was definitely something wrong with these waters. I had a deep feeling inside that our trip was coming to an end and that soon enough there was going to be a climax to our life's together. Soon enough, we began to pull into a lonely and empty port, we had arrived.

"Ah yes what a glorious port! It has all the free space and no regular peasants how delightful!" I heard in Reaver's voice from the deck and I opened up the door of the cabin to see him on deck as most of the servants were running from the ship to the port, carrying things.

"Is this it?" I asked him as he looked over his shoulder to me, flashing me a smile.

"What do you mean 'Is this is'? This is a port of treasures and hope!" He said as he turned back around and went for the plank that was connecting his ship to the dock, and he casually walked off the ship, pushing servants as he went. I slowly followed after him, picking up a few things on deck and carrying them to give that servant appeal. Just like before in Bloodstone but in reverse, us servants were carrying things from the ship to the land, leaving them be as those big men from before hounded us into a circle just as Reaver (once again just like last time) swooped in and grasped me from the arrangement of people as Emily smiled at me from within.

"You'd make a fine servant. Are you sure that after all of this that you do not wish to serve me?" He asked me in a calm tone, obviously sarcastically but it still made me tick a little.

"Reaver I am literally the Queen of the country." I say as a counter, and he shrugs his shoulders as if to say 'That's too bad' or 'I wish I cared'. Something arrogant I'm sure.

Just as we spoke, a man from before in the group ripped me away from him by the arm, but as Reaver's back was turned, he couldn't tell.

"Get away from the master, slave!" He yelled at me just as he threw his stick across my face, smacking me. If I wasn't a hero, that probably would've hurt a lot, but it still threw me to the floor. Reaver then turned just as the man raised his cane up again to hit me. I saw Reaver clench his fist, hard. He stood there watching me for a moment, but I knew there was nothing he or I could do. We still had to play this act that I was a regular slave and not in fact the Queen of Albion. Ridiculous, but still. And yet, I could reveal my identity at any point and falter his plan, why do I care enough to not? Oh yes, because he blackmailed me. I thought for a second that I was becoming too used to his company.

"Uh, leave that girl alone! She's...uh, had enough?" Reaver yelled over to the man that was still continuing to beat me, and he gave a grumble before stepping away from me as everyone began to whisper to each other. Never before had anyone probably seen Reaver actually helping another. How interesting.

"Uh..." He was stuttering, it was almost funny.

"Stop looking at me you useless peasants, if you don't move I'll have your heads on a brass pipe you hear me?"

As he said that, everyone scrambled and went in a forwards direction and around a corner, being escorted by the men. Reaver stood there for a moment, his hands on his hips as he watched everyone leave as I sat on the floor with a bit of a frown. I mean, it didn't hurt, I just felt degraded. Just then, as everyone had left around the corner, he walked up to me with a smile.

"Now I never thought I'd see you on the floor in front of me." He almost purred to me as he put a hand out to me, which I took and he helped me to stand.

"Pervert." I muttered to myself as I got to my feet and I looked at him as he kept smiling.

"Now if anyone asks, I beat the life out of you, alright?" He said, his smile still growing.

 _Sadistic bastard._

"Alright." I said to him as I gave a sigh, still having to conform to his ways. Yet, I remember that our deal still stands that we decided on the roof of the Bloodstone manor. That after these events, no matter how we feel, that I will never so much have to breathe the same air as him again and that he will never say a word of these events to anyone. I forget that sometimes that I am being held captive and that my kingdom is being run by a stand in.

He began to walk, obviously with nothing more to say, and I followed along behind him, leaning down and taking a mound of dirt and rubbing it into my face to give that 'He may or may have not just slammed my face into the floor' effect. As we got around the corner, the port was still going for miles, it was huge. Obviously, this was a trading place at some point, most likely built by my mother when she was the Queen also. I wonder why nothing is here anymore; I've never seen this place.

"Are we in Aurora waters or something?" I asked him as he continued to walk along the wooden dock.

"No, I don't even know myself." He said as he looked over to me, giving me another smile.

Oh yes I forgot. He'd said that before that we had to be lost to find somewhere that couldn't be found. It sounds poetic, but I think that was Reaver's way of saying that we went off track, or maybe it was all planned.

"Are we going to find that ship of yours here?" I asked him, and he stopped in his tracks and looked over to me before properly turning.

"Find my ship? My! You _must_ be joking."

"But, we're in a port."

"Yes but if a pirate king kept his ship that he stole in a port then he wouldn't be very good king, hm?"

 _Damn, he had a point._

As we reached the servants, Reaver casted them all a glare as if he was counting them one by one as well as the men and it made me uneasy. I don't like it when Reaver thinks.

"There are 46 of you, and two of speciality and 4 men belonging to me..." He was speaking to himself and all the servants looked to each other in fear.

"Now, I'm going to be blunt!" He said in a happy tone, flaring his hands out as he smiled.

"I'm going to have to shoot, hm, 26 of you as sacrifice to the pirate king!"

 _Oh you must be joking._

All of the servants suddenly gripped onto each other, all of them beginning to whimper as I was pulled by the arm into the group again as Emily held onto me.

"They're going to kill us." Emily whispered to me as Reaver stood continuing to think as his men began to smile, pleased at the fact that they may have the chance to beat some to death.

"I _won't_ let him." I said as Emily gave a sigh, but not in relief, more as if she was saying 'I hope so' or 'You better know what you're doing'.

Reaver then casually began pointing to servants, choosing weak or tired looking ones from our group and lining them up by the water, most likely so the bodies and blood would fall in making little mess. I was gripped to Emily, I was ready to tackle him and attack him if he even so much as pushed one, and then he went to draw his gun. Then, it hit me. I'd used his gun on the deck of his ship to shoot myself, and it wasn't moved from there. He's forgotten his gun...no wonder Theresa wanted me to use his gun, to save these lives in the future. Heh, how interesting.

"Drats!" He yelled as he noticed his gun wasn't there.

"Now how shall we appease that damn king."

He was talking as if he was crazy. Maybe this voyage and the pressure and feelings coming with it is going to his head. Maybe he should take a break.

"Master Reaver?" I called out from the group, making some servants gasp and my casualness of addressing him.

"I think maybe you should get some rest." I call out as I give Emily a reassuring tap on the shoulder and making my way over to him. He frowned at me, his eyes dark as if he hadn't slept in a while.

"How _dare_ you tell your captain what to do? Come here!" He grasped me by the collar and specifically not the neck like he usually would.

 _Ah, he's only acting_.

I nodded slowly, giving the fake impression of terror, and before I knew it I was back in his cabin. As we had entered, he slowly made his way over to his bed and he flopped himself down on it in a tired manner, putting a hand to his forehead to show his fatigue as I made my way over to him and sat by him on the bed. From his face, which was faced towards the ceiling, he was obviously far too tired to even somehow stay awake.

"Ah, my dear Queen. Before we both know it this'll be all over." He muttered to himself as he shut his eyes for a moment, as if in thought, before he opened them back up to continue to look at the wooden roof.

"All over?" I ask in curiosity of what exactly he could've meant. He could've meant anything really.

"This voyage of course!" He sounded so confident, it was as if just knew.

"And before we know it, we'll be returned to Bloodstone where together we shall-…oh." His voice trailed off for a second, and I was wondering why until my thought from before, from when I was on the dock, hit me. Our agreement still stands.

"Sometimes I forget that you're bound to me under…shall I say, somewhat evil circumstances. I am not surprised that you'd want to leave me. It saddens me, my dear. To see someone like yourself skip in and out of my life, it's rather…uh, unsettling." He said as he glanced over to me a second, his tired and worn look apparent through his mounds of makeup. He had a point really. He seems to forget sometimes that I am the Queen of Albion and that he blackmailed me to get on this ship.

"I will not forgive you for shooting me, but I know that you are somewhat a changed man now." I admitted to him, and he gave me a slight smirk, that seemingly came out creepier than he probably meant it to be. It was just his dark eyes and the angle he was lying out, instead of charming it just kind of came off as creepy.

"Changed man? Me?" He asked as he gave a slight laugh, which turned into a slight cough. It seemed almost as if that sometimes his age would slightly catch up on him and make him ill or less agile.

"Well you're still sadistic, but, you don't seduce every woman you see now." I said to him as his smile faded and he seemingly went back into thought.

"Well, the thing is your majesty is that…I may have, to put it kindly, went 'off' of woman now a days. They don't appeal to me as they once had, I no longer crave their bodies against mine. I just crave to have some company, and it always comes down to you. Well, I'm not sure what people call it now, but I seem to have…caught feelings for you." He admitted to me, rolling over to face in my direction and I felt a little shocked.

"Reaver, are you…in love with me?"

I was well aware that it was a very bold question to ask someone like him, especially in a serious manner. He kind-of squinted at me for a moment, as if thinking of his reply.

"Well my Queen, I don't know how to define it but I believe that I care for you more than anything else." He said to me as he slowly sat up to face me, and my heart sank.

He _was_ in love with me.

"Well, perhaps…I too, care for you." I said as a counter and yet as a return as a smile appeared on his face as he placed a hand behind my head.

" _My_ Queen." He said, putting emphasis on the 'My' to further prove his possessiveness, seemingly going to pull me into a kiss just as the door was swung open. We both moved our heads in that direction and there was a pirate of Reaver's ship, standing there horrified.

"It's those spirits! They're here!" The young pirate yelled as he ran off, and Reaver gave a grown as dread filled me.

"Drats! Can't a man relax? Ah well, no time like the present to be brutally murdered by ghosts, wouldn't you say? Anyway, come now my Queen. There is so much to do, and yet so little time." He said as he suddenly stood and ran off out of the door of his room, his energy suddenly coming back.

My, he was right. Soon, this is going to be all over.


	16. Chapter 16 - Reaver's Point Of View

**AUTHORS NOTE**

 **So sad to hear about LionHead Studios closing and the Fable franchise coming to an end.**  
 **Bloody heartbreaking.**  
 **Although some of the Fable games fell flat, the memories and happy times that come with those games I will never forget.**  
 **Thanks** **** **LionheadStudios** **** **for everything, guys.**

 **Goodbye,** **** **Fable** **.**

 **Yet, most of all, let us say goodbye to Reaver, we will never see him in a game again.**

I quickly got up from where I sat and I made my way towards the door to see that Reaver was not there, which made me think that he must understand the direness of the situation. He must've really ran, still a funny sight to me. I got out of the cabin and I made my way towards the edge of the ship, where the plank was already broken, and I jumped from the ship to the dock as I remembered what Emily said to me a while ago.

 ** _"_** ** _Take your heels off, they might get caught and they'll be harder to run in. Leave your apron behind, it'll get caught and keep your hair up okay?"_**

I recalled what she had said, and I followed her instructions, kicking off my heels to the side, taking off my apron and making sure my hair was secure before I made my way around the corner on the dock to see…no-one was actually there. I crept for a moment, unsure if an attack was looming, but as I walked on the creaking planks of the dock, no-one came out to me. It was as if everyone just disappeared.

"Reaver?" I called out into the empty dock as my voice echoed around the wooden, empty structure. I went to walk a bit more, until I was suddenly gripped from behind me, and I began to struggle as the sound of low, ghostly laughter surrounded me.

"It's that _maid_ girl from before! She isn't dead!" I heard from the familiar voice from one of the ghost pirates from the ship before. I couldn't even think, I just wanted to know where everyone was.

"Let me go!" I yelled out to them as I was being held, even although I knew I had no chance of getting free from their grasp just as a ghostly, green like smog began to come to me. I was almost sure that this smog would kill me, and I screamed as it stopped just by me and slowly became a person.

So, the legends were true.

 ** _Captain Dredd._**

The pirate king, the king of the ocean, stood in front of me and glowing in a deep green colour as pirates also glowing green surrounding me from left to right as one held me from behind.

"Where is the rest?" I yelled at the pirate king as he gave me a hearty laugh, seemingly amused by my struggles.

 **"** **The** ** _rest_** **? My, they're all** ** _dead_** **, lass!"** **He said to me as the rest of the pirates chuckled and laughed, just as one came right up to my face, throwing a piece of fabric my way. It took me a minute, but then I realised what he'd thrown to me…Reaver's cravat.**

"You must be joking…" I muttered to myself as the pirate who held me dropped me as if expecting me to feel utter fatigue when I saw his cravat and I fell to my knees, my heart racing.

Was I honestly the only one left?

"Take her to the ship!" Captain Dredd yelled out to his men as I was picked back up and was beginning to be dragged back to the ship, accepting my fate of being the only one left and being most likely lead to my death.

Then, a voice.

"Your majesty?!" I heard being yelled out from afar off the dock, and I spun my head to see Reaver, who looked a little battered, off in the distance.

They lied, he's alive!

Immediately, my liking for life suddenly coming back to me, I began to struggle hard as he made his way over to me quickly as could be…just as green smog approached him from behind, turning into a ghostly person just behind him. I would've called out, but…it was too late. Before I could speak out to him to warn him, or to even manage to scream, a ghostly sword was jammed through his back and out the front of his chest. He stumbled for a moment, his eyes opened wide and wild, and he fell over onto his face harshly, a crack sounding as he obviously broke it. I began to scream his name over and over, but he didn't move, he just...lay there. It didn't even look like he was breathing.

"Now take her to the ship!" Captain Dredd called out again in a disgruntled tone as I kept struggling and screaming. I was dragged towards that same ghostly ship from before, the one I had out the act on in front of. I was about to be dragged on, just as I heard the noise of water splashing. I turned my head to see Emily, pulling herself up onto the dock from underneath, covered in water.

They were hiding all along.

She got up properly and got down beside Reaver, obviously hearing everything that went on. She noticed me, but she was also trying to keep quiet at the same time, moving slowly to him as she kept her eyes on me. As she reached him, she placed a hand on his back and then raised her palm to me and…there was no blood. Thank God.

I gave her a quick nod, as if to say 'Thank you' or 'Look after him' just as I was dragged away as she stayed by his body.

As I was pulled on, I was immediately dragged below deck and into what seemed to be a makeshift prison and I was immediately thrown in and locked up by the ghostly figures. It was dark, damp and it smelled like blood. Yet not old blood, it smelled like fresh blood had just been spilt and had dried into the ship.

 **REAVER'S POV**

"Ugh, by Avo." I groaned to myself as I lay on the ground, the feeling of utter disorientation fazing me quite rapidly. I opened my eyes slowly as they stung quite horrifically, trying to let my vision adjust as a ripping pain in my chest was apparent. As my eyes finally decided to give me my vision back, I realized there was someone leaning over me. I expected it to be the Queen, but as I glanced closer, I realized that it was that girl from before. Yes, Emily.

"Master Reaver?" She asked me in a quiet voice as I went to sit up slowly, putting my head into my hands.

"Tell me, my dear girl. Why am I lying on these blasted docks?" I asked her, hoping for a rather honest answer as I wished to know my situation as soon as I could, so I may jump back into action if I may.

"You were seemingly attacked by one of those spirits. The…maid girl was taken away." She sounded as if she knew I'd become disgruntled. I thought for a moment why that girl hadn't referred to her as 'her majesty' as they were incredibly close it seemed, and yet as 'maid girl'. It seems that the queen has indeed kept to our little deal like the honest girl she is. I shouldn't have ever doubted her.

"Damn." I said to myself in a low tone as I scanned the docks, it seemingly empty of everyone. My head hurt as I tried to remember the events which had happened before and I must say my thoughts were more than fuzzy, they were trampled. Maybe this girl knows something.

"Now tell me, uh Emily or whatever your name is, what happened to everyone else that I own?" I asked the girl as she shuffled a little as if very unsettled. Perhaps I never have addressed her so personally. My, am I that much of a stand-off?

"Well, everyone ran off at the first glance of the pirates. I don't think they've experienced it before." She said to me, and it made me think.

"And you did not run off, my lady?" I asked her as I made my way up to my feet to feel my neck was cold, something a bit off. I noticed my cravat was gone, drat.

"I jumped under the pier just in-case, I didn't want to leave since I knew that, well, your maid wasn't out yet I wanted to wait for her since she's my friend. Yet, then she was pulled away and now here we are."

I can't stand her saying 'maid' all the time. Does that bloody Queen even have a name? Are her parents so insolent that they forgot to name their child. It was likely her mother's fault, yes, dear Sparrow. She was a bit of a ruffian in her day, a bit of a minx like her troublesome daughter, although she never spoke much to be fair. But in the bedroom her words charmed me. Wait, what am I even thinking about? By Avo, I _do_ go off the trails sometimes don't I? Hm, makes me think, from all the times I bedded her mother perhaps I am her father. My! Imagine the scandal that would cause.

"You jumped into those murky waters to wait for a friend? Oh my dear girl, if I were you I would've ran off and seeked refuge in a near bar to drink away the thoughts of their imminent doom." I said to her as she stood up also, giving me a bit of an odd look as if to say 'Be quiet'. My, what a rude girl.

"Master, there isn't much time to wait, we must make our leave." She said in a very dire way, making me sigh and leaning off to the side, missing my seemingly departed cane.

"Oh my girl in those industrial clothes you must be joking! If anyone sees my next to you in that they'll think I've gone mad." What I had said was truthful. Me being seen with a servant girl in my own industry's clothing? My, what tosh.

"Then what else must I do. Wait, I know, give me your jacket." That girl Emily sounded assertive, and in curiosity, I decided for some reason to comply, and I took off my red jacket and I handed it to her. She quickly slipped off her shirt, but I had no liking for her body and she put the jacket on, securing it up to the neck as she still wore the black trousers and her black boots. I didn't want to admit it, but it actually looked just like a real pirate would dress. Yes, she'd fit in fine.

"My what a combination. Perhaps after all of this you can be my seamstress?" I asked her kindly, and she nodded her head as if adapt to the idea. I didn't want to lie to her, but she'll be dead by the end of this like everyone else. Ghost pirates are no joke.

"Alright my dear, we'll leave. Yet shall we walk somewhere?" I asked her as I didn't see where their ship had gone to, and she nodded.

"Yes, we can walk around this island to get to them, they'll be docked somewhere else." She said in a confident tone as she turned and began to walk. Her attitude had completely changed, and it amused me. Perhaps she was so dead-set on finding her friend that nothing else mattered to her.

"You sound so sure. How do you know?" I asked her in plain curiosity of how this regular servant was acting like they knew everything and she shrugged her shoulders.

"I don't know, but I have these visions sometimes." She said in such a casual way, but it enlightened me fully. So she was one of those fortune tellers, born to see the future. She may not be aware of it yet, my indeed I wasn't even aware of the diamond in the rough that she is! My, I didn't even know her name, and here's to say that I didn't even care to learn her name.

"Well, my dear Emily, we shall begin our way towards our captured friend, alright?" I asked her as I confidently marched ahead of her as I thought of ways I would re-plunder that ship from my past and how I would re-kill the pirates onboard. Perhaps I shall burn the boat or maybe I shall make it explode? Or maybe a good old tussle is the way to go! Oh I do love a good scrap.

"Yes, she can't be far." Emily said as she walked, catching up to be beside me.

As we walked, it occurred to me that those blasted pirates don't just take away anyone, they must know that either she's the Queen, which I doubt. Or they're aware that our ship is the same ship that she tried to fool, which I believe to probably be the most likely case for our majesty. Yet, can me and this girl be able to take them all on alone? Perhaps her 'telling the future' lark will be able to give us a helping hand in getting her out of there. Do not fret my dear Queen, we will come for you, I shall take my jewels and we shall leave, and after this you never have to even look at me again, and you shall be happy once more. Don't worry, my Queen. We're coming.


	17. Chapter 17 - The Duo Of Recklessness

**REAVERS POV**

"So tell me, Emily dear, how exactly did you come across the maid girl?" I asked the girl as she walked by my side, jumping over rocks and being tactical as I kept to the sand all I could, not daring to jump in case I hurt my precious face. She gave me an odd look as if to say 'She didn't tell you?' and she gave a quick sigh.

"Back in Bloodstone manor, I just so happened to run into her whilst fetching things, wait, no…" She paused, and her pause captivated me deeply.

"No, that was the Queen of Albion. By Avo, they look alike…I almost mixed them up there. I met her in the hallway of Bloodstone whilst she was fetching things for you it seemed." She said in a confused tone as if she was having to think very hard to get her story straight, and it made me smile for the fact that I had forgotten about our little Bloodstone party and our spot of fun.

"Me too." I breathed to her, thinking about what she had said. I doubt a normal girl, well as normal as a fortune teller can get, could actually figure out that that maid friend of hers was indeed actually the Queen that she seemed to mix her up with. If it wasn't for the fact that I knew the Queen before these events, I would've never have guessed her to be a monarch. She'd be so good as a maid as well, yet, has she ever even done any work in her almost pitiful small life? Perhaps it's just her mother's genes that come into her life, but who knows?

"How did you come to care for her?" Emily asked me as she turned to me and it made me sigh and almost feel uncomfortable.

"I do not _care_ for her." I said in a low tone, making her squint a little at me, and my it was so unfitting of such a soft featured face.

"Yet you call her aside so often."

"That is true, but I do not care for any servants." I say to her in a very aggravated tone, my own polite way to say 'Do shut up, dear'. Her expression kept changing and due to my lack of caring for Human emotions, I seemingly could not deceiver how she felt. She seemed to be angry with me, obviously feeling that I was lying to her yet still, I cannot simply tell this servant that I do indeed have some feelings for her, my reputation would waver and then I'd have to kill her and then we'd be in a predicament.

"Whatever you say, Master."

There was something about this creature calling me 'master' that brought a sense of un-comfortableness to my being, it almost made my skin, as the people say, 'crawl'. Perhaps I am too used to lifeless beings calling me as such, yet someone who I am attempting to learn about? I do not complain when it is the Queen, for I find it amusing, yet this girl, especially someone as much as a diamond as her, I cannot stand.

"Call me Reaver." I said in a very loud tone, flailing my arms to show my dedication to my name and she tilted her head. Her expression once more changed, again to another unidentifiable emotion and I continued to smile to her. She seemed less than amused. By Avo, what a disrespectful girl! Her Master asks her to call him by his actual name and she says nothing? Insolent!

"Alright then, I shall call you Reaver."

As we kept walking, that girl still being tactical as could be, we began to find ourselves at new ports which I had not seen before on this island, well, not that I have been here before. Yet, there is something horribly familiar about this place…yes, like a distant dream or something of that sort, like a memory that is not a memory. As I continued to glance around, my thought becoming rather crowded, I began to notice that my breathing became rather heavy as if I was very scared outwardly, but internally I feel fine. What an odd place we have stumbled upon. Yet, there is a noise I can hear, like a heartbeat in the land. It keeps coming and going with every new direction and there is only one place that I know that can make a heartbeat, yet, I doubt we are there.

"U-Uh." I stammered in my feeling of discontent. "Where do you come from, dear?" I asked the girl as she walked by me, trying to take my mind off the heartbeat that was very, very apparent now in the land, my head beginning to hurt due to the deep vibrations making their way up my body.

"I lived in Bowerstone, but after my father died me and my mother had no choice but to move into the Industrial state and when I turned seven, I began to work underneath your rule. Yet, when I was twelve my mother died too due to bad conditions in factories. Then, after a while I came to work under you directly, and it's been seven years."

The way she spoke of her seemingly tragic life was so casual, it was as if nothing had ever happened to her or it had happened to someone else by the way she spoke. I guess to an extent that it is the usual story for young girls who aren't of a higher class in Albion, yet she's lucky she came to work underneath me. If she wasn't underneath me she could've lived the rest of her days out as a usual worked in Industrial, and here's to think she was a fortune teller all along! By Avo, I do make good choices, don't I? Well done Reaver you've made smart decisions in this century.

"Very tragic." The way I spoke was supposed to sound sincere, but it just ended up sounding rather sarcastic.

"What of you?" She asked as she gave a smirk, but this made me frown. I would've smited her for even attempting to ask such a question, but I then recalled that she most likely had no idea of my age and say me but nothing more than a middle aged man. Huh, how wrong she is.

"I was born rich, lived rich and I am going to die rich, there is nothing more to it." I comment to her as she gives me a glare.

"You aristocrats and your money." She said in a dismissive tone just a ship loomed just ahead of us, a deep green glow emerging from each corner of its sharp edges, and Emily held onto my arm a little.

"She'll be in there." Emily commented, and I didn't dare speak against a fortune teller, and well speak against someone who say the whole attack. My I do read too deep into things.

I stared up at the ship and my stomach almost turned at the fact that the Queen was honestly within the ship that was just in front of us. As I stared up and over I noticed that there was nobody on the deck, which may be a godsend to us for easier access, yet, I cannot bare the thought of an ambush out of no-where, catching my servant off guard…wait, yes indeed that's right, she _cannot_ be caught off guard, can she?

"Tell me, Emily dear, shall we successfully manage to save the…maid." I said, still aggravated at having to avoid using the word 'Queen'. By Avo, I might just tell her instead of dancing around this name.

"We'll manage to get in, but…my head is fuzzy." She said, obviously feeling the intimidation of the situation, and I patted her gently to make sure she wasn't going to be discontent for she must come with me for company, for if need be I can toss her aside to the men for them to use as they like! It may give me time escape if need be.

I began to move forwards as Emily stayed firmly onto me and I began to look at the ship, curious of how to get up, but just then I noticed a rope hanging down coincidentally, perhaps a little too coincidentally, as if a trap. Yet, Emily did not seem disgruntled, and I'm sure someone such as her would feel if something was wrong. I took a firm hold of the rope as it hung down, and I frowned at its wetness for the fact that a grip would be near impossible, yet I must climb and this girl is going to have to weigh me down. Perhaps I should holster her over my shoulder and carry her, yet perhaps shooting her would make it much easier. Wait, no, the Queen would have my head and I do not quite feel like dying yet, but perhaps half way up this rope with weight on me I'll _wish_ she'd take my head.

"Emily dear, do come here." I said calmly as I leaned into her, grasped her by the waist and picked her up over my shoulder as she squealed out in shock.

"Hold on." I say as I frown at the extra weight as I grasped onto the rope, disgruntled as I jumped a little and let myself suspend as Emily let out an almost out of breath sound. Ah yes, of course, her lungs shall be pressed against my shoulder and that jump must've hurt. Well she'll have more than that happening if she says 'Maid' again.

I began to climb, using my two hands to climb as Emily kept being winded from my sudden movements, and before I knew it I was reaching the top. It was a bit of a dumb move, and it must've hurt my dear fortune teller, but I used a free hand to grip Emily and throw her over the top. I'd love to say that I did it for her safety so she would go up first, but alas, that would be a sinful lie. I did it just in case of an ambush, but from the lack of noise, I think it is alright.

"Now that wasn't so bad!" I said in a loud tone as I stood over the side of the ship and onto the deck as Emily was just getting to her feet, holding herself around the waist as if she'd been struck, casting me a glare.

"You're lucky you're my Master. If you weren't I would-…"

Her voice trailing off amused me.

"What? Make the Queen of Albion have my head? Yes, of course I hear that one a lot." I said as I put my hand out to her, and although it was wet and covered in algae, she took it and helped herself to her feet, then rubbing her hands on _my_ jacket.

"Excuse me but you will find that the jacket is over 50 years old! It's a vintage piece!" I shout at her as she looks at me in a way to almost say 'Really?' and I frown at her once again forwards ways. My, I do hate when woman think.

"Enough about aesthetics, we must find her." Emily says as she stands straight and I smile at her forwardness, yet, she does not have a weapon for no regular servant does. However, if she can read minds then she should be able to somehow manipulate others, she may just have to give herself a bit of a headache whilst she does so.

"Let us go!" I say as I parade to the obvious entrance to the cargo hold of the ship just as I hear a door slamming behind me and I freeze. I turn slowly. Captain Dredd.

"Ah, so it is true my friend, you are not dead!" I shout across the deck to the spirit that had emerged from a cabin on deck as Emily actually stood her ground. It seems she becomes convicted when it comes to her friend.

"Me? Dead? Are you really that naïve Victor?" The pirate king shouts at me, making my skin crawl. That name haunts my past, I am not him anymore.

"I shall kill you once more, Dredd!" I shout out to him as I draw my gun out from its holster and I point it at the ghostly figure just as a deep laughing sounds all around both me and Emily, and suddenly ghost pirates emerged from everywhere, surrounding both me and Emily and making a circle around us.

"Have fun, Victor, as I kill your precious friend!" He shouted to me as he disappeared, and I felt a bit of panic spike throughout my being. How dare he call me by name? How dare he try to kill _my_ Queen?

Just as those thoughts occurred, the ghost pirates lunged themselves at me and Emily and I began to shoot in their directions as holes were made in their ghostly figures. In the darkness, their green beings showed well and in a terrifying way as their swords flew. The fighting was fine, until I realized that Emily indeed had no weapon and I had not even mentioned to her about using her brain power, perhaps she is dead? I turned to see something I did not expect. I did not see Emily on the floor crying, yet an agile woman swaying and serving out of the way of sword in a remarkable way, almost as if a dance as she leaned back and forth as if in slow motion. Her body moved as her hips swung gracefully. I was getting a bit geared up by this, just as I remembered that she was doing the right thing. What a fool I was for using my gun, for it shall not work, I will have to dodge like her. The only way to take down pirates is to kill their vessel in water as they will have nowhere else to go, for their spirits shall fade…this means that in the head of this battle that me and Emily will somehow have to get the ship sailing, and I have an idea.

I tucked my gun back into my leg holster, just missing a sword and no more as I run past Emily who is still doing her little dance and towards a mast pole. I quickly begin to climb upwards on the cold wooden pole as spirits follow after me quickly, but I had no choice but to keep going forwards and upwards. I reached the top fast, due to adrenaline I would most assume and I took out my gun once more and shot at the ropes, realizing the sails and they flew black and tattered as the wind of the night blew, and yet, I had no way down without jumping. I do love that Queen, but a broken leg may not be worth my time, unless I try something ridiculous. I ran across the top mast and aimed myself carefully and…I jumped off, gun in hand. I aimed myself for the side of the ship carefully and as I fell I shot at the rope which attached to an anchor, and I got the shot as always, letting the anchor no longer hold down the ship and it began to move just as I had enough time to grip onto the ships side, but I felt my arm come right out of place. It did not hurt; it just did not feel pleasant. I hauled myself back up and I ran to Emily grasped her arm, and pulled her towards the opening of the cargo hold so I could get the Queen to use her firepower to set the ship ablaze, yet as we tried, more spirits came up and I found the battle useless. As I stood there, surrounded by pirates my doom looming, Emily suddenly stepped away from me. I was sure she was going to make a mad dash, yet instead she suddenly let out a burst of what I can describe as mind energy, and it made all of the pirates groan and…disappear. They are not dead, but there are not here right now which gives us a chance. I wish I had never doubted Emily, yet, the time has come to see what damage has been done to our Queen. I grasped Emily again and I pulled her below to what seemed to be a makeshift prison and I would've never had seen her, but Emily just pointed. There was our Queen, in a cell in the corner, in a pool of blood. Immediately, my heart sank. My, she seems dead..jpg


	18. Chapter 18 - The Crossroads Of Fate

**REAVERS POV**

"Ah, come now my dear don't look so discouraged." I said in a low tone as I kneeled down to her as she lay inside of the cage, her back to us.

"N-No…She cannot simply be…" I heard in Emily's disgruntled voice, and I looked over my shoulder to find her stumbling back and hitting the back wall and coming to a clatter, she seemed sickened by blood or perhaps the image of her possibly dead friend.

My, there's so much blood.

"Oh come now, my dear." I said once more as I reached my hand through the gaps in the bars, touching through to her shoulder, giving her a quick shake. Then, she began to seemingly move, and the feeling of her breathing re-occurred.

"Your…majesty?" I questioned out loud, uncaring if Emily had realised what I had meant. The pools of blood shifted with her as she moved and Emily stood back up properly behind me.

"Huh?" We both heard in the disgruntled voice of her majesty, and Emily suddenly kneeled besides me, hanging onto the prison cage with me as our Queen turned over as she lay to face us, looking utterly confused as if she had fallen into a sleep whilst we fought for our lives on the upper deck.

"Reaver? Emily?" She questioned as she came into a sitting up position, the blood she was lying in covering her clothes and one side of her face, but she showed no form of pain on her face which made me cast Emily an odd glare, almost as if we'd been fooled.

"Aren't you hurt?" Emily asked as she reached a hand wearily through the gate, the use of her physic powers causing her some obvious fatigue as well as the whole situation in general I'd take it. Emily touched a hand onto my Queen's shoulder, making her smile.

"I am not hurt, this blood was here before me, I just needed to sleep to get some energy to actually manage to get out of here." She said with a soft smirk as I continued to look confused at her. I thought of her and what would've became of my being if she had indeed already been dead or horrifically harmed by the time we came to her side. What would've become of Albion if their Queen had died on a secret mission with I whilst on a ghost pirates ship? My, I would be called insane!

"Now, we must get you out quickly and search for my things." I said to her as she smiled to me in seemingly almost a dazed way.

"Yes, perhaps that'll be a better idea than staying in here." She said as she gave a quick stretch before coming to her feet as well as Emily next to me and I studied the prison door which had kept us apart and I thought of when I was once captured by this very same ship over 200 years ago. My memory isn't what it used to be I can assure, but I must still have some memories of the events which caused me to murder the captain of this ship in the first place. My, how did I escape again? Ah, yes, of course! Extreme force!

"My dear Queen, you must use your powers and blast open this gate!" I said to her as I took an automatic step backwards, pulling Emily with me. She casted me an odd look, probably at the fact that I kept saying 'Queen' in a serious tone. She's smart enough, she'll figure this out.

"But my power could set this full ship on fire." She said in a rather panicked tone as I gave a quick laugh.

"That's perfect, my dearest Queen! That is just what we need!" I said as Emily casted me another glare once more. Perhaps now that she has more than likely discovered that this 'maid' as she called her is most definitely the Queen, she is probably thinking hard of how I talk to her and treat her, my, she must be rather appalled by it.

"Is it true?" Emily cut into my line of thought, looking over to the Queen who was behind the bars, still covered in someone else's blood.

"Yes, it is true. Emily, I'm the Queen of Albion." The Queen said to Emily as a smile began to appear on her face, she seemed very excited at the thought. Perhaps the idea of being a friend of the Queen's is fantastic to a peasant, yet to me it is an everyday occurrence. My, it is funny how different our lives are.

"Come now there is no time to wait. Before we know it those blasted pirates will be back for us and as soon as those fires are lit this ship will begin to sink as a battle shall be in full swing. Are you all ready?" I asked forwards to them all, fully braced and fully ready for the battle that was about to be at hand and both of the woman nodded firmly to me. They were ready.

 **Queen of Albion's POV**

As I nodded forwards to Reaver, I began to feel myself tensing up as the idea of setting the fires began. I knew that he was telling the truth and that this ship was definitely going to go up in flames and that there was a firm chance that it could sink, fast. I'd heard of the legends before, that when you set alight a ship that belong to spirits that it sinks. You'd think that it was a rumor started, like in a child's story book. Yet, it seems as if it is true indeed due to what Reaver said to both me and Emily. It just goes to show how many times people have actually found themselves in these situations for this to become a seemingly well-known thing.

"Alright. Stand back, but, as soon as these gates fly open don't wait for me, just run and of course Reaver, you lead the way. There will be no time to wait." I said in a low tone as I began to concentrate on my hands and the power that lay within them. Closing my eyes, I let the power consume my being until I felt my hands burn and I thrusted them forwards towards the gate, and it flew open as fire hit the back wooden wall of the ship, and as soon as it was open, Reaver bolted.

As soon as he began to run, Emily flashed me a look before following on after him just as I did the same just as the back wall began to erupt into flames. Reaver was on an obvious track, he knew where he was going. He got up the stairs of the cargo hold to find ghost pirates everywhere again and I heard him curse under his breath in an obviously disgruntled way just as Emily ran into the back of him as I ran into the back of her. He suddenly turned and took a firm grip of Emily's forearm and dragging her off to the side across the deck around and past them as I threw my arm in their direction, throwing fire all across the deck in a crescent moon shape, creating a barrier around us and the pirates and Reaver continued to run with Emily as I followed behind. I'm not good at totally understand the layout of ships, but I can tell that he's going for a captain's quarters. As we ran across the deck, the spirits shouting and jeering as they stayed cut off with the fire as Reaver ran through the doors of the thankfully empty quarters looking right and left quickly just as a spirit came from behind, tackling me to the floor, extremely hard. As I was hit down, I quickly turned my body around to face upwards and the main pirate, Captain Dredd was keeping a ghostly foot onto my chest, pinning me down to the deck as he drew his sword from his holster. I struggled hard underneath him, hoping for Emily and Reaver to return, but they did not come back out. As the pirate king drew his sword up high, somehow I managed to throw a hand up and a fire ball hit him in the face and knocked him back, giving me enough time to get to my feet just as I went into the corner of the deck, creating a crescent moon of fire around me, keeping me safely against the ship wall as the whole ship began to burn up, faster than ever. Just as I did so, Emily ran out of the room that they were both and she was holding a bag over her shoulder that she was struggling to hold just as Captain Dredd threw himself at her, forcing a ghostly sword through her and making me scream. I knew it was just a ghost sword so there would be no real wound, but she's going to be in crippling pain. She fell to her knees hard as the sword was forced through her back just as Reaver emerged. He was at a total cross roads, and it made my heart sink down. On his right, there was Emily being attacked with his things, but to his left there was me who was being crowded in by fire that was going to reach me any minute. He paused in place his head going back and forth from me, and then to Emily looking so worried it almost hurt. He then called out.

"Emily! The things!" He yelled out, reaching a hand towards her just as she used the last of her strength to throw the bag of his things towards him and he caught it in his right hand just as he managed to get up onto a higher deck, studying the ropes attached to the ships. He quickly pulled out his gun, shooting at a rope just as it began to winch out of place and he ran and held into it, swinging with is as he swung past me, grasping me by the waist and pulling me out of the corner of the ship that was about to burn up just as I saw a crowd of pirates approach Emily and I began to scream, Reaver's grip on me getting tighter and harder and I moved harshly around to get from his grip. Then, the rope completely came out of its hold and we both fell to the water below. As we hit the water, the iciness making me lose my breath I began to swim upward to the surface, just screaming Emily's name over and over and the ship was engulfed in flames all around. Before I could try to swim back towards the ship, Reaver swam up to me and gripped me by the waist again and pulled me backwards from the ship as I kicked and screamed to get away. Before I knew it, the ship was descending into the water and debris began to fall out and away as I began to cry uncontrollably and he pulled me into an embrace as he treaded water, watching the ship descend underneath the waves as there was blood splattered on his face which I hadn't seen before. We stayed there for a while until the ship was completely gone, and there wasn't any trace of anyone being alive. Everything was gone. Just as Reaver held me, another ship came around the coves corner which I realised to be his own. His crew must've been awaiting the end of the battle and Reaver lifted an arm and waved them down as the ship turned towards us. As it approached Reaver swam towards it, keeping a firm grip onto me as he got there letting me go to climb. I did the same just after him, soaking wet in my maid uniform, tears running down on my face as another's blood stayed clung to my face. As we reached the top, there was a loud cheer as he got onto deck and he threw the bag in front of him as everyone bowed over. I did the same momentarily, the maid act still having to be shown before I turned and walked across the deck, away from everyone else. I went across the deck, up the open stairs and to the bow of the ship and I just…stood there, blankly.

Soon enough, everyone left the deck and I felt a towel being placed around my shoulders and I turned to see a very beat up looking Reaver just by me.

"You let her die." I said in a low tone, looking out onto the sea just as a breeze began to chill me as he gave a sigh before leaning up onto the side of the ship.

"I had no choice, you were going to die." He said in an honest tone as I pulled the blanket around me more.

"You could've tried."

I was surprised at how I wasn't shouting at him or beating him, but I just…didn't have the mental energy left anymore.

"I had to save you." He said as he faced me and I frowned.

"Why?" I asked in a low tone as he moved towards me, moving my arms to open them and the blanket so he could step into the warmth with me, his clothes still wet as I placed my arms back down and around him.

"Because I…I love you, my Queen." He said in an honest tone as he looked into my eyes and I smiled a little, the agony of the death of my friend burdening me.

"As I you. I don't know what I would've done without you." I said as he pulled me into an embrace. We stood there for a while, just at the bow of the ship as the stars shone down. It'll be time to go home and after so, we will never look at each other ever again. Huh.


	19. Chapter 19 - The Final Feeling

**Oh by Avo! I am** ** _so_** **sorry for the long wait I have put you guys through, I had finals and, well, you know how that song and dance goes! I still can't believe that soon this story will be ending and it breaks my heart! But perhaps it'll be one or two last chapters?**

 **Anyway, thanks for the support!**

 **\- Chai Harker.**

Soon enough and after some amount of traveling, the looming idea that we were coming back into Bloodstone port in at least a day were tearing through everyone's minds, the idea that we'd lost one person and that finally it was all over and that I'd be able to go back home and forget about everything that had happened, but a part of me didn't want to forget it all, a part of me wanted to remember and to be happy with the memories this has created, but I know I have to forget. If I don't I could become attached, corrected, more attached to Reaver than I already am and if anyone found out that I loved such an amoral man…they'd simply turn against me. Loving such a man would be sin even for the evilest people in Albion for even some of them turn their backs on the tycoon. Yet I knew some would recognize me un-boarding the ship, but maybe they wouldn't. Regardless I'd have to take the chance.

Thoughts swirled my mind of how I was going to say goodbye to Reaver and how I was going to just have to leave and go back to my duties whilst thinking up an excuse the whole time, and I was thinking so much that not even alcohol was blunting my headaches, so I decided to turn to Reaver.

I waited until the night was calm and everyone was mostly in their cabins before I came up from the below decks, still missing the place where Emily would sit, and I went to his cabin, about to knock on the door before I hesitated, my heart thumping inside of my chest. What would I say?

"R-Reaver?" I slowly stuttered out as I rested my hand gently against the door, the dampness causing a chill to go throughout my body and I took it almost like an adrenaline shot, knocking three times hard on the door, hearing a clatter from inside almost as if there was a fright from within.

As I was going to turn the handle to let myself in, the door swung open and there was Reaver in the door frame with an awkward smile. It was clear I'd scared him.

"Ah my Queen, what a lovely time to see you! _Please_ do come in." He said in his usual sly way as he grasped onto my hand and pulled me into his cabin before shutting the door behind me, doing his usual glance around to make sure nobody saw before turning to me and grinning.

"My you look as elegant as ever in the outfit," He began as he gazed at me. "You may look better without it although." He said as he brought a hand to his face as if thinking and I scoffed at him and sighed, he was still as perverted as ever at times, and it didn't help that I wanted to have a serious conversation with him about…going home.

"Why don't we have a drink and-"

"I want to discuss my freedom." I said in a strong tone, moving to the bed and sitting gently on the corner as his face turned shocked and conflicted for a moment, perhaps at me cutting him off or perhaps at what I said, but regardless he looked startled.

"Why we've already spoken about it! Once we get to Bloodstone bay you may be free!"

Although his words were strong, there was a waver in his tone with every second or third word, as if he was chocking back saying something or that he was struggling to keep his tone proper. I don't know what it was, but it was there.

"Yes but...are you truly alright with me walking away?" I asked him as I placed my hands on my lap as the ship creaked and moved gently as he moved over to his chair, sitting and crossing his legs over.

"I mean, as the Queen I have no right to say where you go and where you stay. My dear, that is not for _me_ to decide." He puffed to me as he crossed his arms over his chest, making me sigh out and rub my face in frustration.

That was always something about Reaver I found hard to deal with, and he still did it to this day, even my mother spoke of this. Reaver has a pleasant way of dancing around things and either making them less than what they are or not giving his opinion at all, and I must say it brings me anger at times. I remember back in the courts before the battle with the darkness that he used to give his side of the arguments in very smart ways, dancing around the bad parts and saying how much it could benefit me. I guess it's just a trick he's learned after so many hundreds of years of being alive, yet still it makes me want to punch him.

"Yes Reaver, I am well aware that indeed I am Queen and that I can have your head any minute, but I want to know how _you_ feel. Look, forget I am the Queen for right now and look at me like a peasant girl. Imagine it like that, how would you feel then?" I ask him as he looks around the room as he thinks for an answer, a sly look still painted on his face.

"Well if you were a peasant girl I wouldn't have come to you at all!" He announced out making me grit my teeth.

I realized now that mentally Reaver was shutting down. He was trying to forget everything and become his sly self, not the version of him I'd gotten to know, the real version of Reaver. He was trying to forget about me, about how he admitted his love to me, just all of it. He was going into denial.

"You're really missing the point here," I growl. "Why can't you just admit to me for once that you want me here?! Look, I know you do! Admit it!" I shouted out to him, my emotions becoming uncontrolled and just spilling out of my being for a moment, and he just looked at me with wide eyes, his eyebrows furrowed and his smile now gone and turned into a slanted frown.

"My love for you is…warped my dear. I have never been one to love, for everything I loved vanished and-..." He stopped himself talking and he looked down to the ground with a heavy stare, not blinking and his eyes just opened up wide.

I knew Reaver had a distorted past and I knew my mother knew, but even when I asked she just wouldn't tell me. She said it was horrific and it left him mightily scarred in many different mental ways, but it was times like this that I remembered that Reaver wasn't just some monster, he was Human too.

"Can't you let go and just tell me what we shall do?" I asked him in one final attempt to reach through to him, and as he brought his eyes up to me I already knew his answer without letting him speak, he was completely dead inside at this point.

"I understand." I said in a confident tone as I stood from the bed, bowing to him and going for the door.

"Goodbye, _Master_ Reaver," I began in an angry tone. "Serving you has been a time oh so _pleasant_." I hissed before I left the cabin, going out onto deck and slamming his door behind me harshly. Yet, as I got out onto deck although, I thought I would have a moment of triumph and I would feel strong, yet I was wrong, and I fell to my knees, a sob escaping my mouth as I did so, my heart shattering within my chest as my one final plea for the pirate lord to love me was now lost forever and I knew another chance would not arise for by midday tomorrow, Bloodstone would be beneath my feet and the last images of him walking away would be apparent to me. I felt broken in that way, but soon I got to my feet and trailed myself down below to the cargo holds, where I sat down in Emily's old spot, put my head against the wall, and went to sleep.

Yet, as I slept, a dream came to me. As I looked around this dream world, it was nothing but whiteness. No colour, no nothing really. I was too alone; until a voice I did not recognize spoke out to me.

"Get down."

I looked around as this disembodied voice was speaking seemingly directly to me and I found no source.

"Get down."

It repeated again but now in a direr tone, but I still couldn't figure out what the voice meant or who it belonged to as it was so mixed up, but all of a sudden, a gunshot sounded and I threw myself up from the ground, awakening from the dream.

"C'mon you lousy workers! Didn't ya hear that gun shot? That means the Master says to get up!" I heard being shouted from a low male voice as I quickly got to my feet, all of the servants casually picking up boxes and carrying them upstairs and I decided to do the same. As I got up to the top, I saw land in the distance and I sighed out in a depressed manner, setting the box down and sitting onto it, leaning my elbow onto my knee and my fist under my chin as everyone moved around me, and as I turned my head to the wheel of the ship, there was Reaver back in his usual position. One hand on the wheel as his eyes slowly met mine. It was only for a split second, but those moments we were looking right at each other felt like hours and he ripped his eyes from mine, looking around the ship for a distraction, a sigh escaping my lips.

"Reaver…" I said to myself as the ship drew closer to land, and soon enough, we arrived.

Slowly everyone came from the ship and all the boxes were taken away and as I un-boarded the ship, there was of course a crowd of the Bloodstone community awaiting for their party master to come back to them, and in fear of being noticed, I hid behind Reaver and grasped his arm as we went down the ramp.

The crowds weren't exactly cheering although, they were all quiet and whispering to each other before one man stepped forwards.

"You know what we've been hearing, Weava?" The Bloodstone man spoke out to him with a hand on his hip, his broken English come through.

"We heard that you've gone all weak for some maid!"

As the man said that, I felt Reaver's whole body tense up and come to a sudden halt.

"Weak?" Reaver said in a very hurt tone, as if someone had told him that one of his beloved ships had sunk, and he stared around at the crowd of people.

"It's that girl!" Someone from the depths of the crowd, everyone shouting in agreement, making me hold onto his arm more for security. I heard him grit his teeth from the squeaking noise they made.

"I am not weak! I am Reaver, I will never be weak!" He shouted all of a sudden, pushing my arm off of his arm and stepping away from me as the crowd continued to jeer at him, and he gripped his fist, obviously fuming…before he all of a sudden drew his gun and held it out to me.

At that very moment, I could see in his eyes that everything we'd been through together was coming back. The party with Page, all the court meetings, his faked love, his trick to get the ships, the trip itself…Everything up to now was catching back up on him, his hands shaking.

"I am _not_ weak!" He shouted as he hovered his figure over the trigger as the people of the

Bloodstone docks cheered him on, and I noticed his eyes glossing over, as if he was going to begin to cry.

Then, he looked me straight in the eyes.

I knew at that moment; it was all over.

"I am _Reaver_." He said in a loud tone as his finger rested on the trigger.

"Forgive me." And with those words from his mouth, the trigger was pulled and a bullet was sent ripping through my skull. I fell back as the crowds began to cheer and praise him as the light from my eyes faded as I lay there on the docks, the darkness closing in.

"There! Now that she is gone, we must all celebrate!"

That was the last thing that I ever heard before I drifted off into what felt like a painful sleep before everything went completely black.

 ** _"Death is not your path yet, Hero."_**

Batting open my eyes slowly, I found myself much like in the situation I was with the dream from before, in an all-white room, but now standing in the very middle was Theresa, her hands folded over her skirt as she stood before me.

"Why didn't you warn me?" I asked her in a defeated tone as she tilted her head to me, the world of nothingness bringing tears to my eyes as I realized that as of current I was dead.

"I did not try, that is correct. Yet, someone else did." As she said that, all of a sudden a figure appeared next to her, and my eyes opened wide at who it was.

"Emily!" I shouted out as I ran towards her, pulling her into an embrace as she did so back, holding me close as could be as tears filled my eyes.

"How is this possible?" I asked her in a broken manner, and Theresa turned to face us.

"Much like you, Emily was betrayed by Reaver who did not see her full potential in life, but I did. Her power of minds was enough for me to let her live, and I have been training her since and I will continue to." She said with a nod as I stood back from Emily, still holding her hand as I'd missed her so much.

"So, what now?" I asked her as she gave a slight smile to me.

"You will live on Hero and you will keep running Albion, but what you do next, is not my choice for it is up to you." She said as she nodded her head to me, making me sigh out as I really didn't know what to do next, but I had an idea.

"Now, you and Emily are going back to the castle now. Good luck."

And with that, the whiteness faded into blackness and when I re-opened my eyes, I was indeed back in my room in the castle, just across the way was Emily with her head down on my table, asleep. It had been so long since I'd been here…what would I tell everyone? What was Albion like now?

Slowly getting up and as quietly as could be, I went over to Emily and shook her shoulders and she slowly raised her head up, looking to me with a smile as she was clearly much more adapted to this teleportation thing and she slowly too stood up.

"I cannot believe I am home." I said as I looked around my old bedroom, Emily laughing.

"I still cannot believe that you are Queen." She said as she too looked around, but I knew then I had to stop acting like I had been for weeks. I was once again Queen again and I had to act like so.

I went behind my dressing wall and got into my official Queen uniform and Emily took one of my dresses, a beautiful white one to match her blonde hair and we slowly opened the door to the bedroom into the hall, and as we did so there was a maid girl standing there. She looked at me for a moment with a horrified look before running down the hall silently away from us. The alert that the Queen was home had spread.

As I walked the halls, passing everyone by, everyone's head turned to look at me, their mouths ajar as all type of things were said:

"She's home?"

"I thought she died!"

"It's really her!"

"Where has she been?"

I kept walking until I was at the entrance of the throne room where sitting on the steps leading to the throne were Logan and Jasper together, and as they saw me, they suddenly stood up in shock at me suddenly being there, Emily following behind.

"Sister?" Logan asked me in a small voice as I walked towards the throne silently.

"Where have you b- "

"It does not matter where I have been, yet now I am home and I do not intend to leave again." I said in a strong tone voice as I sat down in my throne, Emily sitting on the floor just next to me as we were still being stared at, servants in the doorway looking shocked.

I wasn't exactly sure how long it had been since I was taken from Millfields by Reaver but I knew it had been a long enough time for my random appearance to be indeed shocking, especially with some random never seen before girl with me, but I was done playing games now. I was ready to step up and be Queen once again just like I was before I met that brute, but that didn't mean I was done with him. Although my heart was in pain and even although the feelings I had for him had not left even although he'd shot me twice now, I wished to get some form of revenge.

"Jasper?" I asked in a calm voice as I sat up straight in my throne, Jasper standing tall and turning to me.

"Yes, my lady?' He asked in his usual tone, making a sly smirk appear on my face.

"Call that man Reaver. I wish to speak with him."


	20. Chapter 20 - I pity you (FINAL)

**Want a sequal? - Chai Harker**

 **REAVER'S POV**

After the party in my manor that I'd newly come back to, I decided to take some time alone in my study before going to rest, sitting with my diary wide open and a quill in my hand, not quite sure what to write, but without even knowing it, my emotions just…came out.

 _'_ _I just got back today from my few weeks long trip on the new ships I had acquired from her late majesty, and I managed to get back all of the money I had lost all those years ago by that ex pirate king, not that any of that really matters I'm rich anyway. Yet, over this time, I lost two people who were on the ship with me, the Queen and her friend Emily, one of my maids. I do not know how I feel after these affairs. Yet, something that will never leave will be the look on her majesty's face as I pulled the trigger...It was…shocking really. The fact that I even did it was shocking, but I have to keep my status of being a man who should be feared had to be upheld, even if it meant killing someone that I, as some would put it, loved. I really am not sure how I am meant to feel, for I have indeed killed many people but..the look in her eyes were different. Anyhow, I hear someone coming'._

Raising my head up from my diary, hearing footsteps in the hall, I didn't even realize that I was gripping onto the leather in my chair. Perhaps internally I am more bothered by all of this than I really let myself know.

As I was in thought, all of a sudden I hear a knock, but not from a door, from the balcony that looks over my study and I raised my head upwards more and looked just past my shoulder to see a servant girl standing on the top.

"Master Reaver, a telegram has been sent for you. You are being summoned to Bowerstone castle…uh, right now." The young girl somewhat stuttered to me as I felt my whole body seize up on the spot. I knew that murdering a monarch would have its troubles but are they really ordering my execution _now_? Well, at least I got the party first.

Slowly arising from my seat, putting my diary down for what seems the last time, I grasp my cane from my chair and I quickly walk from my study, picking my gun up from a table nearby as I make my way outside, my carriage, as always, waiting for me.

"By Avo…I wonder how it feels to be hung." I mutter to myself right before I get into my carriage.

After an hour or two of travel, I couldn't help but think to myself about the Queen and what she was like. I abused her more than many I've met, and yet she didn't use her hero powers to murder me or to at least stun me to run, she just…submitted. She was a diamond in the rough and I know that now I have lost that diamond forever, as now she is dead and from my reach. I wonder whom shall take her place for I know she has no children. It's a curious subject manner, if she wasn't dead and if I wasn't involved I would've perhaps tried to take the place of monarch.

 _It was moments like this, when my mind wandered, that I knew I was mentally shutting down…_

 **QUEEN OF ALBION'S POV**

I spoke to Emily the whole time as we awaited Reaver to arrive, leaving him unknown to the fact that I was indeed alive and very much so ready to face him back in my position of power, and soon a maid came in to say that he'd arrived. I thought I'd play it all up even more, so I quickly moved from my throne to right behind it to keep myself hidden, leaving the chair empty as Emily hid behind a curtain.

Soon we heard the familiar heavy steps of Reaver entering the throne room, the sound of his cane hitting the floor audible, and from the distance I nodded to Emily to go first, and she did, leaving the curtains in her white dress walking towards him. As I peeked around, he all of a sudden looked horrified, perhaps he thought for a moment she was a ghost or something of that form, none the less he's dropped his cane and his eyes were opened wide.

I think at that moment he knew what was going on.

" _Emily_?" He asked in a rough tone as she stood right in front of him, her head tilted off to the side.  
Emily too was betrayed by Reaver for he could've indeed saved her but chose not to. I knew Emily was not one to grudge, but she was in the right to act hostile.

Silently, without a word, she turned around to face the throne and slowly got down into a bow on the floor to the empty chair and there was an audible stammer from Reaver just as Jasper stepped into the room.

 _"_ _Welcome, the Queen of Albion."_

With that, I came from my hiding, staring daggers into Reaver as I did so, coming around the large chair to slump down in it Emily standing and coming just by my feet again.

He was completely and utterly frozen. His eyes wide open and his legs visibly shaking as he looked at me, a smirk appearing on his face.

"What you're feeling now, Mr Reaver, is what I felt when you pointed that gun in-between my eyes on the docks. Doesn't it feel…pleasant?"

As I said those words, royal guards entered the room and one placed a hand on his shoulder before kicking his legs out from underneath him, all of them jumping in to hold the strong hero to the floor, but he seemed to shocked to fight back.

"Mr Reaver, you are under arrest for attempted assassination of her majesty the Queen." I said out loud in a confident tone, as I crossed my legs over, watching the man I once loved being held down by guards to stop him from moving.

"I've not been arrested before." He said in a casual way to me as his voice was shaking and cracking, his façade of being un-phased by everything cracking down all around him.

"Shall I be executed? My, I do hope so." He said thoughtfully as he brought his head down to the carpeted floor as I gritted my teeth at him. He was testing me.

As he was held down, his eyes kept averting from me, then to Emily. He hadn't known Emily that long, but it was clear that he wanted to ask more than anything at all if Emily was alright and if she was feeling better, but he knew Emily would never so much as look at him again. She was an understanding woman, but...not that understanding. His eyes also kept coming to me, his smile saying one thing, but the dead look in his eyes telling otherwise. It was as if he just wanted to say sorry and for me to let him go, but I couldn't…not this time.

"I wonder if it'll be a firing squard or?...No, no a public hanging! No! Uh...Oh! A beheading?" He was talking so fondly, but it was obviously a terrified facade, but regardless, Reaver was at his breaking point anyway, I could see it in his eyes. Being arrested and losing his freedom would be terrifying for someone like him.

"Any last words before you're taken away?" I ask him with another smirk as the guard's brace, ready to move him. And instead of saying something pompous and evil towards me, all he had to say was 'No', and if I have to be honest, that was more hard hitting than anything he could've said to me.

As the word left his mouth, the guards dragged him from the room and as they did so, his eyes never left me.

"What now?" I heard in Emily's voice and I looked down to her to see her looking somewhat scared as she looked to me.

I almost forgot that Emily belonged to Reaver ever since she was, what, 12? Although he is an evil man, Emily was always seemingly content with serving him, so I think that even although he betrayed her and almost caused her death, she feels attached to him.

"Well, his judgement day must come…" I mutter to her as I breathe in, and I hear her stammer.

"No! You can't kill him!" She shouted out to me, making me jump as I'd never heard Emily sound any more than slightly frustrated.

"What did you just say?" I asked her in an annoyed tone as she shouted at the Queen of the country.

"He may be evil but…he's still my master!" She shouted out to me in a desperate way. And as much as I felt bad, I too felt confused.

"Emily…what happened whilst I was captured? When you two ran to that cabin together to get his things…Emily, tell me what happened?" I asked her as I looked at her in thought, and she rubbed her eyes before giving a faint laugh.

"He," She stuttered. "He said he'd come back for me."

It was right then that I realized that Reaver isn't someone just in my world, he exists with other people and some others love and cherish him whilst some hate him to death. I must speak with him.

I left my place, leaving Emily behind and I went downstairs into the depths of the castle to the cell block where I found Reaver all alone sitting with his back to the wall, in prisoner clothes.

"Do you know what you are to me, Reaver? You... you are a scared little boy trying to play with the big boys toys. Without your gun, the Hero of Skill is useless. You are just scared, so you hide behind that blasted Dragonstomper to solve all of your problems. But one day, that Dragonstomper will be no more. And then what will you do?" I pressed my hands up against the gates as he turned to look at me.

"But yes. You are a scared little boy looking for the coward's way out. Execution will not be the way you go. I understand that you are tired, I am too, but we must fight. We must keep going. I understand that there will be push backs but, you must go backward to go forward." To an extent, I didn't know why I was talking to him in such a way that almost sounded like I was trying to console him…It was…strange.

He gave a firm sigh and he looked down from me.

"Just tell me," He began as his eyes met with the ground. "Tell me if Emily is alright?" He asked as his heart was obviously hurting inside of his chest even although it seemed to no longer beat.

"I want her to be okay but...she'll never forgive me…" He murmured as he coughed harshly with a quickness of almost a ridiculous rate and his eyes were opened wide, not to mention bloodshot.

What I thought earlier, about him mentally shutting down, was right. He was becoming less of Reaver and more into someone else, a child in fact. A very scared one at that. He was currently a bird in a cage who was being held for bad things he has done to someone he admitted to loving. It's like it's all bringing back bad memories.

"But I do not wish to live on as I am!" He said as he suddenly slammed his fist into the floor, creating a huge bang as he looked at me frantically.

"Reaver…" I said as I leaned down to his level, using the bars of his cell to steady me.

"If we keep to our agreement, I shall let you and Emily go together." I said with a half smile as he looked at me shocked.

"Are you serious?" He asked me as he too came to the gates, reaching a hand through a pressing it up against the side of my face in a somewhat loving manner.

"By Avo…I wish I never shot you…" He said as he looked right into my eyes.

"We cannot change the past, but if you promise to give Emily good work I will never bother you again." I say as I reach into my pocket and take out a key to the gates, which I open up slowly for him and he comes to his feet, stepping out just before me with a frown.

"So this is our final goodbye." He said as he stood right in front of me.

"Yes, I guess it's-"

Suddenly, he leaned into me and cut off my speech with a hard kiss, holding my shoulders as he did so before suddenly bolting up the stairs of the cell block.

"Reaver you bastard, come back!" I yell to him as I sprint after him, but he was so fast. I guess being a pirate making great escapes aren't all that odd.

As he ran up, Emily was by the top and he quickly gripped her hand and pulled her to the castle's entrance.

"Come Emily, we leave!" He shouted in a joyful way as he got to his carriage and pretty much threw her in, Emily shouting a 'Yes Master' as he got in too, and as I made it to the doors, the carriage was already leaving.

I sighed defeated and returned back inside and quickly went to my room, slamming the door and falling to my bed.

I didn't want him to leave, I should've said something…

As I rolled over I saw my bedside table and that it had an old flyer from one of Reaver's old parties on it and I looked at it.

'Parties always held at the end of each month'.

I gasped to myself as I realized that it was indeed the end of the month and I threw myself up, went to my dressing board and pulling out an old mask I once had.

"I'm sorry to break our promise, Mr Reaver. But, I'm not ready to say goodbye quite yet."


End file.
